


A Beastly Beauty

by noire_lace



Category: Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Beauty and the Beast, Dom/sub Undertones, Eventual Smut, F/M, Gaston - Freeform, OC, Sexual Tension, Stubborn couple, childhood ruining, maybe people can change idk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-15
Updated: 2016-09-15
Packaged: 2018-05-22 21:12:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 31,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6094156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noire_lace/pseuds/noire_lace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three years after losing his battle against Beast, Gaston has recovered physically, but mentally, he's still bruised & battered. Naively, Faye Hansford arrives in his quaint little village to find herself  a groom, & quickly sets her sights on him. But is the arrogant man willing to comply? Rated M for later chapters. // Gaston&OC // Updates on Tuesday evenings, CMT.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Drunkard

**Author's Note:**

> Hello ladies & gents, welcome to my fanfiction. In case any of you were concerned, yes, I am the original author (Understated Elegance), I am simply moving my stories from fanfiction.net to here. While useful & readily available, the site isn't very hospitable to anyone with kinks or anything non-vanilla, & my work has gotten a bit of hate in the past; it's one thing to not care for something, but some people are seriously confused as to what is & isn't rape.
> 
> Anyway, here's to a new site, & hopefully a better reception. I will still be posting on DeviantArt in the future. ~

Gaston slammed his empty ale mug down on the table & wiped his mouth lazily with the back of his wrist. His ever-faithful servant, LeFou, was worried for the man, but didn't have the nerve to tell Gaston that he was terribly drunk at this point, & should head home for bed. Thankfully, the hunter had the same notion anyway & dragged his sorry self from the bar, letting out an ungentlemanly belch. Of course, the triplet prostitutes that graced the bar every night weren't bothered at all by the crass behavior, but encouraged it, giggling & hanging from his arms as he stumbled to his feet. One begged him to take her home with him, another was even more forward & hugged one of his muscled arms against her breasts.

This was an all new low for the hunter, being the town drunk almost every night, but there was no pulling him out of it now. The first couple of years after storming that damned beast's castle were more or less easy, the tiny village pretended almost like nothing happened, no one even mentioned Belle, or her father's abandoned, empty shack at the edge of town. His job as a hunter resumed without lull, & for a while, it was as if Belle never existed. But then the dreams began. Fevered, desperate dreams of him fighting Beast atop his castle. It always ended as it had in the awake world, with Gaston falling into the ravine below, crashing into trees that scraped at him, broke one of his legs, & pulled his arm out of its socket. He should have died that night, & still wondered how he hadn't; other than a slight limp from his leg mending a bit funny, & give or take a few small scars on his skin, Gaston looked completely untouched from the battle. & neither Belle or Beast, ever returned to pursue Gaston for encouraging the village to attack the castle.

The women all too eagerly helped Gaston up to his feet after he stumbled a bit, escorting him out of The leaky Boot & towards his home just down the street. LeFou followed closely behind the huddled group of people once they exited the bar, until he caught a glimpse of a young woman standing by herself by one of the town's few road signs. Just standing there, a she appeared to be waiting for someone, most likely lost; he couldn't see her face, but her dress & bonnet looked lovely from where he was. Covered in silk & lace finery, the female traveler almost looked like the expensive bijou dolls aristocrats gave to their daughters. LeFou quietly gravitated towards her, wondering if the person was real, or if he'd had too much to drink that night as Gaston had.

..._..._...

Faye frowned to herself as she tried to determine where the nearest inn was in the small town she'd been dropped off in, but it was considerably dark out now, & she wasn't sure it would be wise to wander around a new place aimlessly & ask strangers where she should go. While she'd mastered reading French well enough before her trip out into its countryside, speaking it was a bit more of a challenge with every region's local accents & slang terms. The man who dropped her off here had probably given her good advice, but she was too embarrassed to ask him to repeat himself, nor did she think it would have actually helped her when his accent was so thick and rural. What was she to do now? Faye quickly realized that she shouldn't stand in place all night, it would cause the same problem as looking around aimlessly. Walking out into the street, Faye pulled the hood of her cape down & wrenched her hands together in apparent worry until a short little man stumbled before her, the grin plastered on his face wide & friendly. She was startled at first since he looked so disproportionate and came at her so quickly from the darkness, but he appeared to be friendly after all with the kind way he smiled at her. It was obvious he was local, he had the same dark hair and tanned skin many others in the country had, so it was unlikely he was a traveler as well. Perhaps he could help her?

LeFou stared up at the woman before him with the same disbelief. At first glance, he'd thought she was flawless; all he could see under her hood were the features of a pretty girl, & freckled porcelain skin. With her hood down, LeFou could see her curly & rusty-red hair, piercing green eyes. He could see more detail on her tired face, her hair was less curl & more frizz, & the build of her body of a younger, willowy woman, rather than that of a temptress. The little imperfections he noticed made her look a lot more approachable than before, perhaps cuter. It didn't take LeFou long to realize that she was traveling with the luggage she had lazily dropped onto the dusty main road. & damn if her leather luggage case didn't look as heavy as LeFou himself. Going to her luggage, Faye sat down on it & lowered to eye-level with LeFou, giving him a peek at the violet, silken dress under her cape. A rich woman traveling all alone without a chaperone in sight? It was unthought of, LeFou began to worry she was touched in the mind or more lost than he originally thought.

"E-excuse me," the young woman called to LeFou, gathering his attention from studying her physical appearance, "I was wondering if you could direct me to the nearest inn. Any place will do, I have the money to cover tonight." LeFou gave the girl his crooked smile & nodded excitedly, unable to contain his pleasing-servant attitude.

"Right this way, Mademoiselle!"

Quickly, LeFou led Faye's to the inn closest to Gaston's townhouse, one with warm beds & an owner that asked very few questions. The girl graciously thanked LeFou, even giving him a real silver ecu for his time. Watching her go into the hotel, LeFou almost groaned aloud when he realized completely forgot to ask what her name was. It was too late now, he couldn't just run her down & start asking questions. But why was she dressed so well, & why was her French so formal? Resigning himself to the fact that he would probably never talk to the young woman again, LeFou stuck his hands into his pockets & trudged over to Gaston's place to check & make sure he made it home safely.

..._..._...

The small, damp hotel room wasn't much to look at, but at least Faye would have a roof over her head tonight. For the past few nights, she'd huddled in a wagon, hidden among trees, or bummed rides off of what appeared to be kinder folk in the foreign country. With mercy & fortune on her side, Faye was able to make it to the small village she was in now, & to run into the tiny man all too eager to help her. Faye thought back to him as she removed her bonnet & gloves, admiring how he'd helped her without asking anything in return.

If he was so kind, maybe others in this town would be as well. Maybe she could stop traveling & begin the second phase of her plan; the small town lacked finery that she was used to at home, but kind people would more than make up for that fact. Pleased with this decision, Faye tossed her traveling trunk into the corner of her room, pulled off her walking shoes & gown before she carefully climbed into bed in her chemise. She wrapped herself in the blankets, surprisingly warm & dry despite her old, creaky room, yawning & curling her body up almost completely. Exhausted & spent from her traveling for the past week or so, Faye quickly slipped out of consciousness & into slumber.

..._..._...

At the end of his drive, Gaston shooed away the triplets, as was the hunter's policy with women now, even with him was as drunk as he was. There was a time he would have allowed them into his home without a second thought, but ever since Belle & her wretched beast-prince trampled through his life, he couldn't seem to let himself rest at the thought of another person in bed with him. No, he had to be fully sober to even consider bedding a woman now, & sure that she wouldn't be able to slit his throat as he slept. Not that the prideful hunter would admit aloud that such things bothered him; he was the great Gaston, & taking such a hit to his pride was just as bad as dying in his eyes, no one would ever know that he still feared the beast's return.

But he was afraid. Three sturdy locks secured the man in his home before he swayed unsteadily upstairs to his room, falling into his massive bed without removing a stitch of clothing. He was sunken into the comfortable mattress when he finally ripped off his shirt & boots, his pants & socks following suit. He didn't feel comfortable until he was without any clothing at all, jerking part of his blanket over him & a pillow down under his head. Almost diagonal along his bed, the man laid down in an attempt to sleep. Hopefully tonight, he wouldn't be visited by more visions of beasts bigger than men & their ferocious teeth. It was entirely unlikely, but sometimes the drunkenness sunk him into a deep sleep, deeper than dreams or nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, private messages, & advice is always appreciated as long as it is constructive by nature. I love to hear other opinions, but please, keep the bs to a minimum. This story will be getting more mature in the future, with dom/sub themes. One last warning, 18+ please.


	2. Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just gotta put it out there, because a lot of people get pissy with me over this chapter for some reason. Just because YOU know Belle & the Beast aren't royal jerks doesn't mean the characters do. As far as Gaston & LeFou are concerned, she's a bitch that almost ruined them entirely. They're not omniscient like the viewer is, so I would like it if you didn't pull the "Belle's not a bitch" junk on me.

Faye was waiting outside of the hotel she was left at when LeFou set out to collect breakfast for Gaston & himself the next morning. This time, she was clothed in a yellow cotton dress with a modest neckline, her unruly, curly red hair pulled back with a matching yellow ribbon. Even with a far-less-expensive gown on, Faye looked every bit as out of place as she had last night. She was turning the curious gaze of several passersby as she went to greet LeFou, even if she didn't notice it. But, as it turned out, the woman from last night wasn't a fabrication of his mind. & she had sought him out this morning.

"I hope you don't mind," Faye apologized with overly-perfected French, "I do not know anyone in the village just yet, & I plan to stay here for a while. Can I spend some time with you until I get my bearings?"

"It would be a pleasure," LeFou replied with a grin, "I'm going to the market right now, Mademoiselle."

Grinning from ear to ear, Faye gently pried LeFou's basket from him & hung it her wiry arm, following him to the market stalls. She looked completely bewildered by his tiny town, taking in the sights of everyday life as though she'd never seen any of it before. It made him nervous, concerned as to why such a sheltered girl would be out here in the country, all by herself. Either the woman didn't bother to hide her inexperience with the life of a pauper, or she didn't even realize that she was acting strangely to begin with.

"I'm Faye, by the way," the woman announced as she strolled with LeFou, giving him a gentle smile. The man beside her blubbered a bit in embarrassment & gave her a quick nod, rubbing the back of his head as he trailed beside her; he wasn't the best at conversation with the fairer sex, even she had to see that.

"I'm... I'm LeFou..." he mumbled softly, "So, Mademoiselle Faye... what brings you to this village?" Faye stopped curiously checking out the village long enough to give LeFou another grin, the little man almost running right smack into a stall. She was dangerous, LeFou decided then; he had no doubt that Faye could melt ice with the warmth in her gaze. But Faye didn't answer, keeping her attention on the stalls.

& that was all she told LeFou. He frowned & followed her to the stands, going through the market with Faye & buying some fresh fruits & oats with her. Was it him, or did her presence get him fresher, more abundant produce than usual? Of course he wasn't imagining it. Almost every unmarried man of the village seemed to be working the shops & stalls today, & apparently trying to get Faye's attention. But the girl didn't seem to notice & simply chattered on about how nice the weather was. LeFou wondered to himself if Faye was purposefully avoiding his question from earlier as they walked now, but for the moment, it looked like she was just excited to walk around.

"Miss Faye, why is it that you're here again?" LeFou asked as they neared Gaston's home. His question went unanswered once more, for Faye had stopped walking in front of Marcel's bookshop, right before marching in. Oh no, this girl was just like… just like Belle. LeFou vowed to keep her love for books a secret around Gaston at that thought, keeping his distance right outside the shop as Faye looked curiously through shelves & made fast friends with Marcel. Ever since the woman had run off with Beast, er, Prince Adam, Gaston had become particularly vicious & cynical towards the reading type of woman. He was shocked that the bookshop wasn't burned to the ground already.

Thankfully, Faye came back outside without purchasing any books, but she looked more lively now, certainly excited. She gushed excitedly about dragons & knights so feverishly as they traveled that LeFou decided that she actually didn't remind him of Belle. Belle was a damned ice queen, too busy with her face in books to give anyone in their quiet village a second thought; he thought it odd even now that a woman who proclaimed that she would leave for adventure married into royalty, in the end, effectively trapping herself in another cage, although slightly bigger & gilded with jewels & gold.

Faye was the total opposite of Belle, who rejected their town for something better, trying to pull him into her imaginary world; she actually had LeFou eating out the palm of her hands for more of a story about knights & brave heroes when they reached Gaston's home. Faye stopped her story-telling once they stood in front of Gaston's cottage, taking a moment to take in the sight of the plain building just on the edge of the village. The two took a small trail at the edge of town, the cottage just a quarter-mile away from the main street. The building was visible from town, but far enough away so that it was almost completely surrounded by a patchy bit of forest that led into the thicker wood. The front was a bit dismal however, no gardens or ornamentation was in the front of it; she thought to herself that perhaps LeFou just wasn't much of a home designer.

Beckoning Faye to follow inside the cottage, LeFou wasn't too careful about being quiet as they started working on breakfast together, knowing that Gaston wouldn't come downstairs until the smell of food beckoned; the man would be unconscious & recovering from a night of drinking, & hopefully the sight of a pretty girl like Faye would lift his spirits. Faye proved to be quite a help with the breakfast, fetching ingredients & indulging him with more stories. Her ability to recount was staggering to him, & she was very animated, making several different faces & grand hand-motions.

"So... why are you here?" LeFou asked a final time as they began to set the table. Faye's smile became a bit uneasy, but she explained anyway.

"Well, the first reason is that I'm worried for a girl; her name is Victoria Spencer," Faye explained, "She came to France a few months ago to visit her aunt, & I haven't heart from her in what feels like ages. She's even stopped responding to my letters, so I'm admittedly a bit worried." LeFou nodded & helped Faye with setting the table, as well as putting generous portions of scrambled eggs, fried sausage, & toasted bread at the center. Maybe Gaston wouldn't have too much of a problem with the guest when he saw all of the food available.

..._..._...

LeFou was so busy listening to Faye that he didn't notice Gaston coming down the stairs. Hearing the sound of chatter, Gaston woke from his unconscious stupor hauled himself out of his bed, pulling on his trousers when he considered there was what sounded like a woman downstairs. They weren't fully buttoned up, but he couldn't help it; he thought he was going mad when he heard LeFou talking to a girl downstairs. The female sort didn't surround themselves with the like of LeFou, he was more of a... befriending animals kind of person. Now Gaston made his way to the kitchen quietly. LeFou just kept talking to whoever was down there, totally incapable of sensing the oncoming panther of a man, despite his usual ability to keep up with him; the woman with him must be something else to keep all of his attention like that.

& at the entrance of the kitchen, Gaston could see Faye, & to his disbelief, the girl talking with LeFou was indeed beautiful; or at least, she appeared to be from behind. He almost felt like an uncontrolled schoolboy with the way his pants became constrictive when she shifted her weight to one foot; & he'd only seen her backside so far; perhaps he should have taken one of those women home with him last night, how long had it been since he'd lain with a woman? The girl was chattering at his stove as he watched, mixing sugar into oatmeal for LeFou.

"Any other reasons?" LeFou urged. Faye tensed again & looked as though she wanted to avoid the subject, but sighed & answered LeFou honestly.

"Well, another reason is that I'm looking to escape from a man who wishes to marry me back at home," Faye said, "He's someone very terrifying, & I know for a fact he only wants my dowry. My Mama & Papa told me that I don't need any personal reasons to marry him, but..."

LeFou nodded & gently grabbed Faye's hand, patting it to calm her down, but inside, he was growing nervous. This girl had run away from home, that was bound to bring up trouble sooner or later. Gaston instantly felt frustrated at her response; so, she was a spoiled brat who didn't want to fulfill her duty as a privileged woman. Leave it to the upper crust to think that marrying for love was worth trading their financial security.

"If you need protection, Gaston can help!" LeFou suddenly quipped, grabbing Gaston from his inner frustration. Gaston gave the other man a warning glare, but LeFou still hadn't bothered to look towards the entrance to see him, nor did he trust himself to speak aloud yet.

"Gaston?"

"Yes; he's the master of this house. He's a hunter!"

Faye stopped stirring the pot for a moment & seemed to ponder that for a moment before she continued mixing. LeFou noticed Gaston & froze in silent horror; almost out of nowhere, the hunter was behind Faye now, looming behind her as she finished pulled the pot from the fire, onto the table beside the pit. The daft girl almost punched his lights out when she suddenly stretched out her arms, allowing him a view of the swell in her breasts. They weren't very big, but rounded rather nicely, & he could only imagine how they felt under the hand. Now that he let himself focus, she was a sinewy thing, still appearing to be more girl than woman; of course, she was still woman enough to entice him, her soft-looking skin & the hint of rosewater surrounding her.

"LeFou, does Mr. Gaston ever hunt… men?" Faye asked quietly, her gaze thoughtful now. Gaston was taken aback by that statement; why would such a soft-spoken girl want to know if he hunted men? He looked to LeFou with a commanding glare to answer the inquiring girl & the servant nodded, blustering a bit when he realized that Faye couldn't hear him nod.

"Y-yes... he's hunted men before…." LeFou answered, "He hasn't killed any, of course!! But every now & then he'll be sent for to track down men on the lamb, he can track a runner better than any bloodhound!"

Faye's relaxation was visible, an odd reaction for her to have when someone spoke of hunting other people; until Gaston's hands reached down & clamped onto her shoulders. & then her anxiousness came back in full force, the girl turning back to look at him with wide eyes. This was Gaston? She barely reached the giant man's shoulders at best, he towered over her by at least a foot. His hair was dark & unfashionably long, barely contained by a loose ribbon at his neck. It certainly didn't help to soften the look of his chiseled, scruffy face & fiercely blue eyes that looked into her own green eyes unflinchingly. If he didn't frighten her with his imposing nature so much, Faye would have had a good mind to comment on his handsomeness.

Gaston, in turn, found himself instantly held by Faye's gaze. She was a pretty thing, yes, but he'd seen a lot of beauties in his life. No, it was her glittering, clearly-naïve gaze that made him want to drag her up to his bedroom; he immediately wanted to experience such innocence in person, something that disturbed even him. He didn't, of course. Not until he got some answers out of her anyway. He didn't allow for people to just waltz into his home unannounced & start asking all these odd questions, no matter how small & helpless she looked.

"Good morning, Monsieur Gaston."

The cheerfulness in Faye's voice pushed him off base again. Damn, she was smiling like an idiot, too. It made him seriously concerned for the girl's sanity as she grabbed the pot of oatmeal once more & brought it over to the dining table. Was she intentionally trying to make him dizzy with her actions, or did she truly not understand the severity of being in an uncommitted man's home?

"A-ah, Mademoiselle Faye!" LeFou interjected as he helped Faye sit in a chair at the table, "U-umm, are there any other reasons for you being in our village?" Faye's smile deepened & she nodded, waiting for the other two to join her at the table. Gaston felt himself warm up just a bit to her smile despite himself, sitting cautiously in the seat across from her own; why did such a rich, sheltered girl look like she belonged in his home? She almost seemed like she'd lived there forever with the way she began distributing the breakfast onto each of their plates.

"Ah, yes," Faye replied to LeFou with an emphatic laugh, "My last reason to be here is to marry. Monsieur Gaston, if possible. Do you have a Madame, Sir?"


	3. Negotiations

Faye heard Gaston's reaction to her words before she even turned to look at him. It came in the form of a growl of frustration, a deep, guttural sound that made him sound more like a wild animal than a human. Faye her attention to Gaston fully, her eyes staring wide back at his. He'd stood back up from the table & was just standing there, towering over the young woman & staring at her with an intensity that made her want to shrink into her chair. Should she have not said something so forward to him? Perhaps he thought she was a loose woman now.

But then Gaston sat down without another word, going from aggressive to seemingly-passive in mere moments. Faye watched Gaston sat down once more in the seat opposite of Faye's. LeFou was busy trying to scramble into his own seat when he heard a squeak from Faye, followed by the sound of her chair dragging on the floor. Now, he felt regret in having Faye remove her shoes at the door. Gaston had casually wrapped his feet on one of her ankles to drag her to him, locking her ankle in place once she was close enough for his liking. Faye's face was as red, she could feel the heat of Gaston's foot seeping through her thin stockings, & it took her great effort to try & sit up at all. LeFou immediately went to Faye & tried to help her, almost knocking Faye out of her chair when he pulled it back a bit.

Gaston smirked at the two's vain attempt to free Faye & then suddenly released her ankle, his bellow of laughter filling the kitchen when her finally released her ankle & Faye flew back in a flutter of petticoats. He got a good view of her adorable pantaloons before she hit the floor, LeFou letting out a mortified grunt & covering his eyes so he didn't see anything embarrassing. Gaston continued to laugh at the scene of LeFou helping Faye to her feet, her fluttering yellow skirts taking several minutes to readjust & dust off after she moved back to her feet. For a moment, Gaston had expected Faye to be more forward than that, but maybe she was as virginal & pure as his original impression of her indicated.

Gaston was already stuffing his face with his breakfast by the time Faye made her way back to the table, sitting down with less dignity than before. Gaston felt the tiniest twinge of guilt when he saw that she was desperately trying not to cry at her humiliation, her cheeks still rosy & her fringe sticking to her forehead as she tucked her feet under her chair & put some food onto her plate. But the woman didn't run from Gaston after his blatant move against her, nor did she flee his home. Despite her appearance, Faye had at least some courage under those dainty skirts, or at least some stubbornness; if she wanted a battle of the wills, he was up for it.

Faye avoided eye contact with Gaston & ate her food quietly & slowly as LeFou struggled back into his own chair, watching both Gaston & Faye worriedly. His boss wasn't finished tormenting her, not now he knew that doing embarrassing things wouldn't send the fair lady running. But LeFou couldn't bring himself to ask Faye to leave; by her reaction to Gaston's bullying, he could tell she was very determined to get her way, & telling her to go would be a huge insult to her pride. LeFou had learned well with Gaston never to insult someone's pride.

"Please pass the salt, Monsieur LeFou," Faye requested in the awkward silence. Gaston looked up from his nearly empty plate, thoroughly amused to see his servant jumping to do Faye's bidding; she already had LeFou wrapped around her little finger. He had to bite back his own smile when he saw the gentle grin on her face, an annoying reflex he wondered came from. Her happiness was a little too contagious for comfort. This woman was going to drive him insane by the end of today if he let it. If he let it. As soon as breakfast was finished, Faye was out. As far as Gaston was concerned, she was only here now because she helped LeFou to cook breakfast.

"Thank you," Faye said, cutting though the hunter's planning, "I really do wish I could marry you instead, Monsieur LeFou."

That single, little comment tore Gaston's attempt on remaining calm. He knew her words shouldn't matter to him, but it did. Immensely so. LeFou's one moment of gushy happiness was ruined as Gaston grabbed the end of the table & flipped it out of his way. What was left of breakfast scattered on the floor & the distinct sound of the wooden bowls & plates could be heard as Gaston lunged out of his seat, his hands slamming down on the shoulders of Faye's chair, cornering her.

The air seemed completely still as Faye tried to keep her composure & ignore the man so close to her that she could feel his breath on her cheek. With her best attempt to appear calm, Faye cleaned specks of food on her dress away. Gaston knew better, for he could see the slight shaking of her hands as she tried to accomplish her task. His anger dissipated a bit as he realized just how much his anger affected Faye, & he struggled not to pull away from her right away; he'd be damned before he made any woman blatantly fearful of his presence, but this brat of a girl was starting to destroy his sanity. What kind of woman decided to marry a man within seconds of meeting him, then proceeded to flirt with another man in front of him?

"Look at me, Girl," Gaston growled impatiently after a few moments. Faye complied to his demand, her green eyes glittering angrily as she looked up to meet his gaze. She looked like she wanted to cry again, damn it all.

"Please don't yell, Monsieur Gaston," Faye said, her voice determined, but shaky, "My hearing is sound. & My name is Faye, not "Girl". Faye Hansford." Gaston tried his hardest not to break the frame of her chair at her snobbish attitude & closed his eyes, exhaling hard.

"I want you to tell me why you are here, Faye," Gaston then growled, "If marriage to any man will do, why would you come to me? Why not just marry this man you're running from? It can't be so bad to married for your money, the rich type marry off their kids for dowry all the time." Faye looked down then, & for the first time since Gaston met her, she looked defeated by his words. Good, that meant he was wearing her down.

"A marriage to any many will most certainly NOT do," Faye finally responded, looking back up at him with her resolve solid. Faye straightened her posture & clenched her hands in her lap, apparently ready for battle now.

"I can't just marry any man, Mr. Gaston," Faye continued once her voice was a bit stronger, "I need someone strong enough to defend my honor, as well as my physical self. & as for the man I am running from… he is too terrifying. & then, Victoria disappeared soon after he asked for her hand... she wasn't the type to make her family worry like that."

Faye's gaze fell to her lap again & Gaston felt himself soften in sympathy against his will. This woman, although a brat, appeared to be genuinely afraid of the man who wanted to marry her. She had to be or she wouldn't be in this tiny village in the middle of nowhere, searching for the nearest man to defend her, even if it meant trading herself for this protection. He almost saw her as an overwhelmed wolf latching herself onto the nearest alpha to protect her. But did Faye really think marriage was the answer to her problem?

Gaston sighed, moving back from Faye when he noticed that her soft, pink lips weren't very far from his, the two of them having gotten closer as Faye defended herself to him, keeping her posture straight & proud. As much as last night with his female company left much to be desired, Gaston decided that he wasn't going to let his baser instincts get the best of him right now, even though Faye looked pretty when she bucked up to him. He knew too well that if he attacked the young miss now, it wouldn't end with a kiss, & she would most certainly force him into marriage out of duty to protect her reputation. Standing again, Gaston ran his fingers through his long hair once more & tried the best way to spurn Faye's insistence once & for all.

"Look," Gaston grunted, "I'm flattered you think I would make a suitable husband for you, but I'm not the marrying type of man. There was once a time I would have been thrilled, but..." Faye kept her gaze downward, appearing to be embarrassed & chastised, & he watched her for a few moment before explaining himself further.

"I really think you should head home," Gaston told Faye, "Things wouldn't end well if you married me, you know. I feel bad for you & all, but you shouldn't have run off on your family like you did; tell your father that you don't want to marry that woman beater, I'm sure he'll listen to you if you're insistent enough."

"You think I haven't tried that?!" Faye suddenly shrieked, cutting off Gaston's attempt to be civil, "Monsieur, I know I'm not a raving beauty, but I expected you to have a better excuse than that. Not the marrying type of man; pitiful excuse!"

She didn't think she was a raving beauty? Gaston stared at the woman in open shock as she stood from her chair & slapped away his one hand that came up to steady her shoulder, stalking her way to the front door. He squinted his eyes to see what she did, but didn't know why Faye would be so critical of herself. Okay, so she was on the thinner side, & her hips didn't look very suited for child-bearing... but there was no way Faye didn't know that men stared at her. She was no fertility goddess, but she was very pretty.

Wordless, Gaston continued to watch at the harmless girl turned hellion as LeFou chased after her, watching her as she tried to push her long, stubborn waves of hair over her shoulder & shoved her small feet back into their shoes. What could he say in this moment, she'd obvously made up her mind to leave, & he was more than willing to finally get his way & be done with her. Gaston tried to ignore LeFou's blathering & flipped his large table back onto it's legs & drug it to its proper place; Faye was a whiny little kid pitching a fit, he didn't need to put up with her. The sooner she was out of his village, the better; & the sooner he could get back to reassembling the peace in his life.

"Mademoiselle, where are you going?" LeFou asked in a panicked tone as Faye finished lacing her shoes & stood up straight. Pure determination glittered from her eyes as she made sure her dress was straightened her & long mane was presentable all over.

"I'm going find myself a husband," Faye announced to LeFou as she opened the front door, "There has to be at least one man in this town willing to marry me."

Gaston felt an uneasy chill run down his spine & turned in time to see the front door slam shut. LeFou gave him a panicked glance before he opened the front door & ran out after Faye, trying his best to convince the girl to calm herself. She wasn't listening, of course, stubborn till the very end. Gaston growled & made his way to the door, resting against the frame to watch the girl stalking her way back to the street & then through town. & then he saw Faye's intended destination; the daft girl was headed for The Leaky Boot, her stride long & hellbent, & her fancy yellow dress billowing about her. He knew that none of those men were going to be thinking of "marriage" when a helpless-looking girl like her went waltzing in; the locals would probably leave her alone, but some of the travelers that passed through... they left manners to be desired, to say the least.

Cursing under his breath, Gaston went upstairs to grab a shirt & his boots. He glanced at his hunting whip hanging from the wall & grabbed that too just in case, securing it from his belt. Even though he knew Faye wasn't going to be much trouble once he caught up with her, he had good mind to expect her to be a trouble magnet. He cursed Faye under his breath every step of the way downstairs & finished pulling on a tunic over his shirt as he walked out the front door, the sturdy wood rattling on its hinges as it was slammed shut behind him.


	4. Whipped

LeFou watched in horror as Faye stomped her way into The Leaky Boot & slammed the old bar's front door shut on his face. The little man fell away with a grunt, freezing when he his back bumped against something solid & immovable. Looking up, he was more than surprised when he saw his boss staring intently at the door of the bar, his jaw set angrily; he didn't understand this, didn't Gaston want Faye out of his hair? Sure, she was acting silly, but what she did after their standoff in the house wasn't exactly his concern.

"LeFou, get home & clean up that damned mess you left on my floor," Gaston ordered, grabbing the little man by the collar of his coat & pushing him towards his house. LeFou didn't bother reminding Gaston that it was him that made the mess & nodded quietly, guessing it was better than leaving poor Faye to the brutes inside. He was worried for Faye inside the bar, but he knew she would be safe… well, she would be safer with Gaston than any of the thugs in the bar, at least.

As his servant scurried away, Gaston stood in front of The Leaky Boot for a few more moments, calming himself into something that didn't quite resemble blind fury. However, by the time he was calm, whistles & hoots of laughter reached his ears, pushing him into full-on anger again. Just what was that stupid girl up to, & within such a short amount of time? The hunter let out a low growl of irritation & pulled his whip from its fasten along his belt, unwrapping it slowly in his hands until it was looped just once in his clenched fist. This might get a bit messy if any of the men didn't back down, but maybe he'd be lucky & the girl would be cowering right by the front door. He'd just grab her & drag her out by the ear, & then he could set her straight.

There was no such luck, of course. When Gaston opened the door to the small, cramped bar, he immediately spotted Faye all the way at the bar, among the throngs of customers. She was currently arguing with one of the drunken men, & rather fervently at that. Gaston held back a sigh as she held up a portion of her skirt with a telltale brown stain that was likely ale. This woman knew how to get in the worst trouble in the slightest of ease, didn't she? He shouldn't be bothering with her at all, she was likely to get into this kind of trouble again even if he helped her this time.

"Come on, Mademoiselle," the man mumbled with a slurred laugh, grabbing Faye by the arm & tugging her closer, "Let's go somewhere & get you cleaned up. A pretty thing like you shouldn't smell like a bar wench, anyway. I'll take real nice care of ya'."

Gaston had all he could take when the man leaned forward & grabbed Faye's arm, the lecherous look in his eye all too easy to spot; he certainly wasn't interested in marriage with Faye, or anything at all that she would willingly agree to. Faye gave the man the meanest, angriest glare she could muster & jerked her arm from him, but his fingers remained tightly clamped on her, refusing to release her. Finally, she was starting to realize how foolish it was to march into a place like this, Gaston thought to himself. He could leave her with the brute a bit longer & let her learn a lesson, but he had neither the patience or black-enough heart to let this go on anymore, readying his whip.

A trained, hunter's deafening whistle filled the bar, making everyone, Faye included, freeze in place. Faye's captor released her & she looked towards the source of the noise, her eyes widening at the sight of Gaston resting his shoulder on the door frame of the front entrance, his arms crossed over his chest. Faye was taken aback by Gaston's size again, not prepared to see him crowding the door frame so easily. Was that viking of a man really that large earlier? She'd gathered that he was strong, but the small bar against his body made everything seem tiny, insignificant. Even the man's thighs were muscular. It didn't help at all that Gaston looked irreversibly angry, & it took all of Faye's courage not to run in the opposite direction of him. & dear God, he was staring at her now.

Gaston finally stood straight & stepped out of the doorway, the top of his head almost grazing the frame as he ducked his head to step forward, motioning to Faye to come to him with a crook of his finger. Faye shook her head stubbornly at his direct summoning, & Gaston nodded back to her in return. Faye felt horrified at his insistence, but straightened herself after realizing that it was probably best to leave the nest of rowdy men, even if her savior was a menace. Besides that, she didn't think he was above walking over to get her himself, & that would probably involve more embarrassment on her part. Slowly, the woman began to make her way to Gaston, making an effort to concentrate on his eyes. Many men in the bar moved out of her way frantically as she weaved around tables, but Faye paid no mind to them & kept walking to Gaston, keeping herself focused on the goal of escaping with him.

Of course, there was always that one stupid rebel in the bunch. The man who had been fighting with Faye didn't see what was so intimidating about Gaston & reached forward to grab at the woman's skirt as she passed, mischief gleaming in his eyes. He stood to grab Faye in a more firm hold, but before his fingers made contact with Faye's shoulder, Gaston's whip sliced through the air & struck its mark. The man howled in pain & fell to the floor, clutching his bleeding hand. Faye turned towards her captor & stared in horror as he clung to his injury, barely able to process what had just happened.

"FAYE!" Gaston bellowed from the door, gaining her attention again. She looked back at him & tried to ignore the pitiful man on the floor beside her & Gaston crooked his finger in a come-hither motion once more. Worry crept into her mind about what the hunter wanted from her, but the fear that someone else would reach for her filled her panicked mind in the next instant, trumping her previous worries. Faye scurried at full speed towards Gaston & slammed right into him with her momentum, his arms both sliding around her shoulders before she could back away from embarrassment. An alien feeling of relief calmed Gaston somewhat as he looked down to his damsel in distress; Faye was safe now, he had her in his grasp. The hunter could feel her trembling against him & her heart pounding in her chest, & he did his best to wrap his arms around her tighter around her wiry body & still her anxious response.

Gaston freed one of his hand as Faye's trembling calmed, forcing her gaze to meet his own. She looked up at him confusedly & saw the concentration in his eyes, her own stare reminding him of a cautious deer caught in the scope of his gun, right before he pulled the trigger. He wanted to claim her now, but how? All he knew was hunting, & he couldn't very well shoot a woman to keep her beside him, he wasn't a madman. Impulsively, Gaston gave in to his baser instincts to have Faye & leaned down, gently rubbing his lips on hers; Faye's mouth soft on contact that Gaston had to remind himself to breathe, his fingers sliding from her cheek to the back of her neck.

The possessive part of him growled in triumph as Faye grew limp against him, her cheeks now rosy red as she tried to imagine what the men watching them thought of Gaston's display. No one dared to laugh or make any jests at his kiss, however. The man's actions were a blatant show of ownership over his prize. When Gaston pulled back, he'd only given Faye a soft kiss but she slumped in his arms anyway, her anxiety leaving her in a dead faint; who would have guessed that ladies actually did that, he told himself to tease Faye later for her dramatic reaction to a single kiss. All the same, this worked well in Gaston's eyes, he didn't want Faye to witness what he was about to do next.

Cradling the unconscious woman against his chest, Gaston freed up his whip once more& lashed it forward, watching as the last few inches wrapped around the wrist of the man who was still curled up on the floor & jerked him forward with a simple flick of his wrist. The offender let out a pitiful sound of pain & stumbled forward, landing before Gaston's feet as he stared at the ground, unable to look up at him directly. Gaston was almost infuriated with how spineless the man suddenly was.

"Look at me, bastard," Gaston commanded the man in a quiet growl. The man obeyed & looked up hesitantly into Gaston's piercing gaze. If looks could kill…

"If you even come near my woman again, I will make you wish for death; do we have an understanding?"

The man nodded & Gaston noted how the bar customers kept all of their questions to themselves. Gaston was a committed man all of a sudden? For how long? Just who was the woman, anyway? Before he could even finish asking himself the questions, Gaston forced himself to act & not simply stand there in shock of his own words, hand reached out before the man's face expectantly.

"I want money for her dirtied dress," Gaston told him quietly, "Now." The man nodded & fished some coins from his pocket, offering them up to the hunter. Gaston could only imagine how humiliated he was, being exposed for the grimy, shameless pervert he was. Good. Gaston snatched it from his hand & then scooped Faye's body up with both arms, carrying her back to his house; he felt an odd clenching in his stomach as she clung to him when she was unconscious, something that made him feel… good. & needed. He wasn't sure why he'd allowed himself to fall into the role of her protector, but here he was, carrying her away from the bar she'd thrown herself into. & it actually felt good to know that he had done something for Faye, whether she got under his skin or not.

Gaston kicked himself inwardly as he returned home & took her to the parlor. The hunter knew that he was being ludicrous & impulsive, but the thought of Faye marrying another man made his skin crawl, from the moment she openly flirted with LeFou to now; after all, if she'd decided him so worthy of marriage, why look any further? He'd deal with the consequences of this affliction of his conflicting feelings later, but for the first time in years, since he'd chased after Belle, he wanted a woman as his... & she'd reached out to him first.

..._..._...

LeFou had just finished cleaning the last of the dishes from the floor when Gaston pushed his front door open & made his way into the house, casually walking to the parlor with Faye curled up in his arms. She looked almost unscathed from her adventure in the bar thankfully, & when Gaston laid her unconscious body on his settee, she clung to his neck something fierce;. LeFou was very confused when he saw a small grin break out onto his boss' face; Gaston brought her back to the house? After all the fuss of her being around earlier, he still brought her back here, & they looked... closer somehow. Noticing his nosy servant, Gaston made his way to the door of the salon & slammed it shut in LeFou's face before ordering him to get back to cleaning. LeFou paled visibly & jumped at the abrupt action, almost dropping the plate in his hand.

Inside the salon, Gaston paced back & forth in front of the settee as Faye "napped," his eyes constant darting towards her before he had to force his gaze away again. Was he really going to marry her now? Just like that? He didn't even know if he could trust a woman to sleep in his bed, & yet he'd all but announced that she was already married to him in The Leaky Boot. & what if he'd scared her enough in the bar to make her change her mind about him? If she was sane, she'd run from a man like him, but a part of him still hoped that she wouldn't hate him when she awoke.

A soft groan from Faye roused Gaston from his wondering, & for a moment, he stared at her in complete fear, as though she was somehow more frightening than any other beast he'd faced before. He quickly shook his mind of this silly notion & strode over to Faye, kneeling beside her to make sure she wasn't too rattled or weak. He didn't allow himself to think of the silliness of him hovering over a woman, being so protective when she was clearly unharmed.

Finally allowing himself to look at Faye, he gathered that she did look a bit... distressed. The bottom of her pretty yellow gown was tattered & browned with dirt, there was a gross ale stain down the front of her skirt, & her red hair was wild & even more frizzed than earlier, the ribbon taming it earlier completely missing now. But even as unkempt as Faye was, he still found her… enchanting somehow; especially since she looked more like a woman as she slept, & less like a pouting brat. Faye leaned up on her side as he wondered to himself, looked at him, & blinked a few times. He was dead silent as he watched her just watch him… & then she smiled lightly, pushing away his worry that she would be scared of him now. & damn it all, Gaston felt himself starting to smile back as he helped Faye sit up, carelessly pushing a flower pot out of his way to sit on the coffee table in front of her.

"Feeling better now that you've had a nap?" Gaston asked, his voice still neutral. Faye looked uneasy as she remembered what happened before she went unconscious, but gave a small, noncommittal shrug, her cheeks rosy with embarrassment. Gaston nodded & took her response as a yes, more to himself than Faye & stood up, towering over her again.

"Good; now get up," Gaston ordered her, "We're going out to buy you a wedding gown."

Faye didn't move at Gaston's order; if anything, she looked more confused than anything else, staring up at him all wide-eyed & in shock again. Gaston felt like ripping his own hair out as he he leaned forward on the coffee table, leaning his elbows onto his knees, his large body crowding hers in close proximity. He wanted to get this show on the road before he lost his nerve, & really, he almost had already.

"What?" Gaston grunted, sounding more brunt than he originally intended. Faye didn't seem phased by his brutish attitude, still flushing & squirming in her spot on the settee. Damn it, she was so adorable when she got embarrassed like that; it wasn't fair how quickly she was wrapping him around her finger, nor was it logical that he be affected so easily by a woman.

"You... changed your mind?" Faye asked, awkwardly playing with the skirt of her soiled dress as she looked up at him again. Gaston cleared his throat in the silence that filled the room after her question, rubbing the back of his neck with one of his big hands. Faye remembered what it felt like to have his hand on the back of her own neck & looked down at her hands again, feeling her heart racing.

"I have... within the condition that we get this done soon," Gaston finally told her, "Tomorrow, to be exact. I figure I haven't done anything stupid in a long time, & there are dumber things than marrying a rich girl with a massive dowry."

Faye looked put off by this comment, keeping her gaze averted so she didn't have to look at Gaston head on. He knew he'd probably hurt her feelings, but he wasn't going to lie to her face. Faye openly said that she wanted to use him for protection, & he may as well get something out of it as well. Even if they never left the village for longer than to meet her sure-to-be pissed parents, having a dowry like hers would make their lives easier in the future. Faye didn't say anything for a long time, & Gaston began to wonder to himself if she was having second thoughts now, his gaze watching her body language for any sign of pulling away, or a reaction that would mean that she had reconsidered marrying him.

"Back there… that was my first kiss."

Faye finally looked up to Gaston at that announcement, lightly biting her lower lip. Of course it was. Gaston couldn't believe that he hadn't considered such a possibility before, but then, he hadn't grown up near many rich families, & he forgot how much a girl's virtue was protected, even moreso than the woman he'd come in contact with. Gaston was almost shocked he didn't hear a damned chastity belt jingling around when he carried Faye from the bar, now that he thought on it. But that wasn't the issue right now; the matter he needed to address was the nervous wreck in front of him, & Faye squirming around, confessing her complete lack of experience to him. With a long sigh, Gaston straightened his posture & lightly patted his knee.

"Faye, come here," Gaston ordered her quietly, their gazes meeting as she watched him, still hesitant, "Please."

After a couple long, agonizing moments of staring between the two, Faye nodded & stood up, her hands wringing the material of her skirt more fervently than before. Instead of sitting on Gaston's offered knee, she stood before him, waiting for him to make the next move. Reaching out slowly, Gaston grabbed Faye by her hips & sat her down. She was so small against a tower like him, he was still at eye level with her almost in his lap.

"I want you to kiss me," Gaston announced to Faye, one of his hands reaching up to tuck a few strands of her hair behind her ear, "That way, you'll be used to... intimacy better. If you're going to be my wife, you can't be passing out on me every time I kiss you." Faye's eyes widened at his effortless announcement, & Gaston held in a groan as she grew stiff against him, finally showing signs of wanting to create space between them. But she didn't pull away, to his surprise. Faye seemed really intent on accepting his terms & becoming his wife.

Faye watched Gaston's face for a few long, wordless moments before she finally decided to do as he wanted her to, leaning into him & kissing his cheek, amusing the man to no end as he felt the flutter of soft lips just under his left eye. Faye looked so pleased with herself as she pulled away, probably thinking the action was comparable to a real kiss. Still, Faye had done it on her own, & she wasn't swooning on him again. It was a good start on her end, Gaston supposed, moving Faye to her feet before he stood up as well. He was still warring in his own mind whether to give her another kiss, a proper one, when he decided that it would get him into more trouble than it was worth.

"Well then," Gaston sighed, running a hand through his hair, "Let's grab your luggage from the Inn, I'll take you into town for your dress."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just... who doesn't like a man with a whip? I think my childhood obsession with Indiana Jones is coming back to haunt me.


	5. Shopping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double chapters this round as an apology for being so MIA. Sorry, Loves! ;A;

Gaston wasn't sure what to make of his fiancee as she selected her wedding gown, forcing himself not to directly interfere with her decisions. He knew she wanted the main piece in the window from the way she stared at it from the street, made a point to ask her if she wanted it, & what did she do? She picked a plain-Jane, boring dress that looked like it would flatten what little curves she had. In the end, the hunter quelled his confusion & annoyance & watched her as she looked through a small selection of gloves near the clerk. He didn't like the way she was shying from the prettier ones, almost refusing to touch the fine laced ones that she kept sweeping over. Was she purposefully insulting him, or did she really think being his wife meant that she would be in the poor house?

"Faye, I can afford to spend money on lace," Gaston muttered, jarring her from her nervous browsing, "You can pick something prettier." She looked embarrassed as she looked back at him for a moment & gave a small shrug, baffling him almost completely. What kind of reaction was that? Growling under his breath, Gaston leaned over Faye & grabbed the lace gloves in her hands, tossing them onto the counter for her. She gasped in protest & clutched another pair of gloves, ones much simpler in her hands.

"I was going to select these," the woman insisted quietly, "I don't want something that extravagant. You can put those back, really." Wondering why she was being so difficult, Gaston gently pried the other pair in her hands & tossed them onto the counter as well.

"We'll take everything," Gaston told the old man behind the counter, who nodded & added up the total before carefully folding everything in their own, separate boxes. Faye looked like she wanted to interject, but kept quiet, glaring outside a nearby window as she crossed her arms over her chest. It took all of Gaston's self-control not to laugh at her childish tantrum & paid for her things, holding them under his arm. He just wanted to make a point, & she was obviously taking the purchase of lace to heart.

..._..._...

"Why did you change your mind about marrying me?" Faye asked Gaston when they returned home. LeFou was nowhere to be found, & had probably run off to fetch food for the evening meal. Wondering what would be for supper, Gaston led Faye upstairs & to their room, pulling her wedding gown from its box, hanging it in the closet.

The hunter didn't answer Faye's question for a few minutes & wondered why he was picking up her things for her like a trained dog, but when she continued to watch him from the doorway expectantly, he felt like making her wait for an answer, even going as far as to take the box of her more-plain gloves & put it on the top shelf in the closet without any rush. What was he supposed to do, say that he, the great & powerful Gaston, was at the beck & call of a bratty, spoiled woman like her? He didn't think the honest approach would be... prudent right now, not with the way she reacted to his words about her dowry earlier.

"Why didn't you pick the fancy gown back at the shop?" Gaston finally countered, "I saw you staring at it, & I did tell you I could afford it." It was Faye's turn to try & evade an uncomfortable conversation. Gaston sighed & dropped himself to sit on the bed, opening the remaining box with Faye's laced gloves & pulling one out. The the delicate garment looked like it would look nice on Faye's equally dainty fingers, especially on their wedding day. Yet, she had vehemently insisted that she wanted the plain ones.

"How about you answer my question, I'll answer yours," Gaston offered to the young woman nonchalantly, tossing both box & gloves aside; Faye looked even more uncomfortable at this offer, knowing she was being cornered. Gaston held back a smirk as he saw her look him straight in the eyes, straightening against the door frame & growing more frustrated with his sparring by the second.

"Extravagant things don't suit me," Faye finally muttered, looking slightly ashamed. Gaston poised himself to ask her why such a pretty gown wouldn't suit a pretty girl when Faye turned her gaze away. He couldn't understand her words, was she purposefully screwing with his head, or did she just not like fancier things? Gaston opened his mouth, poised to ask questions, but closed it again moments later. Something in his mind warned him to steer clear of this subject but... Faye's surprising lack of interest towards finer materials had him thrown off base.

"Who needs a fancy dress, anyway?" Faye sighed, "Either way, you will have to get used to me as I am. How else will you fall in love with me quickly?"

Faye addressed the man before her in a matter-of-fact tone, as though falling in love was something he would be able to control in the first place. Gaston couldn't help himself; as soon as Faye finished her fervent declaration, his booming laughter filled their bedroom; where had that come from, & where did she get off ordering a man to love her? Faye's entire face turned a deep shade of angry red as she clutched her light dress in her hands until it wrinkled from the intensity of her grip.

"What's so funny?" she hissed with a sharp tone. Gaston stopped laughing for a few moments to catch his breath & take in Faye's frustration for a bit. She still looked as serious & straight-forward as before. Did she think that falling in love was just a business deal that she could flip the switch on at any time? Faye's naiveté amused Gaston to no end; it took all of his willpower not to collapse into laughter all over again at the sight of the apparently disgruntled look on her scrunched-up face.

"I don't have a choice in this, Faye?" Gaston asked, still watching the young woman with amusement as he tossed the glove box onto the bed.

"No, you absolutely do not!" Faye responded immediately, "Your wedding vows clearly state that you will love & cherish me, Monsieur Gaston, & by God, you are going to love & cherish me like any proper husband would!" Gaston continued to stare at the irate woman & gave her a lopsided grin, finding himself enjoying the sheer amount of frustration she was pouring into her little speech. Slowly, he stood up from the bed & made his way over to her. Faye was quickly cornered against the door frame, her hands balled up at her sides to keep themselves from beating on his chest from frustration.

"Perhaps I will love you... one day," Gaston admitted to her a bit more seriously, "What about you, my bride? Does this mean that you'll uphold your end of our marriage contract & obey your husband?" Faye paled visibly & flinched at Gaston's question, looking away from him. He didn't really understand the significance, but he could tell she was deeply disturbed by what he had just said. He wanted to ask Faye why she was so crestfallen all of a sudden, but just then, LeFou bounded his way into the house with food for supper, announcing his arrival from downstairs. Faye quickly slipped under Gaston's arm & headed downstairs to meet up with LeFou; but he wasn't finished. Gently, the giant of a man grasped Faye's arm & kept her from running away from him just yet, discouraged as he watched her continue to avoid his gaze.

"Faye…"

"I very much dislike the word obey," Faye announced, her voice barely a whisper enough for Gaston to hear. He was so shocked by her sudden change in demeanor, he didn't even bother to try & stop her from pulling from him the second time. Faye rushed down to the kitchen to help LeFou cook, leaving Gaston puzzled by her completely. A few minutes later, however, he came downstairs, announced that he was going to the down the street for a pint & rushed out before either LeFou of Faye could interject. Faye was left speechless, & LeFou's lack of response made her feel concern; she wasn't going to have to deal with her husband running off like this all the time, was she?

..._..._...

"So all you want is ten fox pelts?" Gaston drawled to his potential customer, a lanky, honestly pretty-creepy looking man. The merchant sitting beside Gaston nodded, watching the hunter drink down the last of his ale before reaching into is pocket for a small satchel containing the first half of Gaston's payment.

"I would like you to shoot them in the head, if possible," the merchant mumbled, twiddling his hands, "The pelt on a fox is used for expensive coats & the like, so any bullet holes or damage to the body can bring down its value." Gaston didn't bother to remind the man that he'd been hunting for years now; he knew the drill. If there was one thing Gaston was certain about it was how to bag a prey.

After agreeing with the merchant to meet again in the afternoon the next day, Gaston dragged himself out of the pub & went home. While he expected to be greeted by his fiancee with a scowl & nagging, his house was quiet & empty when he arrived, save for the food that Faye had left out for him on the table. It was an odd experience for the man, having someone take care of him. He wondered to himself if Faye had waited up for him too, but didn't dwell on it long; he was just flattering himself with the thought of Faye curled up in a chair, just waiting for him to come home. Their upcoming marriage was a business arrangement, pure & simple, all she needed from him was his ability to protect her from... from what? She'd said that she was running away from some guy who would hurt her, but how much of a threat could some fop from a privileged family be?

Sitting in front of his plate, Gaston stuffed his face in with supper in silence before heading upstairs to bed. As usual, LeFou had incompetently over-spiced a simple stew, but without the little man there to yell at, Gaston finished eating in silence & then went upstairs to sleep. When he got up to his room, he discovered Faye passed out in the middle of the bed, cuddling against one his pillows; there she was again, doing something adorable.

If the world wasn't spinning as badly as it was, Gaston wryly thought to himself that he'd make Faye his wife that very night. With a grunt, he pulled his boots off at the edge of the bed & his shirt as well. His pants came off afterward, left completely nude as he climbed into bed with Faye, dragging her body against his after he stole his pillow back. He was uncomfortable as he came to terms with the fact that he would be sharing a bed with her from now on, having to trust that she wouldn't kill him in his sleep.

A soft, pitiful groan escaped Faye's mouth as Gaston brooded to himself, dragging him from his thoughts to pay more attention as she squirmed in his arms to get more comfortable. That same clenching in his stomach as before came over Gaston as Faye cuddled her body into his & relaxed into his warmth. He felt content with her like this, & terrified as well. Faye could really get to him.

"You'll be the death of me," Gaston grunted, leaning in & kissing Faye's forehead. Carefully pulling the blankets up to his chin, Gaston laid contently with Faye, trying to get himself some sleep somehow, he needed to have energy if he was to survive the craziness his fiancee had brought into his life.


	6. Offical

Gaston found no rest that night. As much as he didn't like the idea of sleeping beside Faye & refraining from consummating their union, it was just being alone with another person in such an intimate setting that kept him from rest. Every time he got comfortable, every time he felt it was safe to simply relax in bed & fall asleep, Faye would mumble in her sleep, or move just enough to rouse him & make him think that someone had come into the room. He didn't know how he was going to get used to this, there was no way he wasn't going to share his marriage bed with his fiancee, but a large part of him was still waiting for her to show her true colors & come after him with a knife. He'd already checked her for weapons & rifled through her suitcase to find nothing, but paranoia still held him fast.

Gaston eventually consoled himself with a hunting knife he kept in the bedside table, sliding it under his pillow in case of the worst. Eventually, tiredness wore out the fear, & Gaston passed out lying as far away from Faye as he could manage; as soft & warm as she was in the coming chill of autumn, it was too much of a frustration for him to be so close to another person.

No more than an hour after Gaston finally fell asleep, a panicked, piercing scream roused him, just around dawn. Immediately, the disoriented man grabbed the hunting knife from under his pillow & stumbled to his feet, trying to find the oncoming danger. But where was it? He couldn't see anyone else in the room. A vase was flung at Gaston's face & he narrowly dodged it, hearing it crash against a bedroom wall instead. Faye was the one who threw it, completely flooring him; what the hell was Faye doing, attacking him in his own home? Was she going to try & kill him after all? He didn't have time to ask before another vase flew towards him. Gaston barely avoided that projectile as well, gritting his teeth in annoyance.

"Get out of my room, you naked, lecherous, horrible rake!" Faye suddenly shrieked. Finally, he understood why she was panicking, & then he laughed. His laughter drained much of Faye's rage & turned it into confusion. She stopped in the midst of throwing a small wooden carving to give Gaston a good, angry stare. She then grabbed the coverlet off of "her" bed & wrapped it around herself in a show of modesty, even though she & Gaston had spent most of the evening cuddled together. Just what did that man find so funny about being called a pervert?

Too quickly for Faye's liking, Gaston's entire stance changed from amusement to a quiet seriousness. Carefully setting his knife onto the bedside table, Gaston was now looking at her directly as he slowly strolled around the large bed to get to Faye. & he was still completely naked. Faye averted her gaze to the far side of the room as Gaston's height loomed over her, too embarrassed & nervous to look into Gaston's eyes. Didn't the man know what pants were?

Still ready for some kind of physical response for her attack, the young woman jumped when Gaston reached behind her, his large hands pulling Faye close. He gently hooked under her chin, nudged her gaze upward when she stubbornly continued to look away. The look of fear on Faye's face ebbed away most of Gaston's anger & he sighed, leaning down to gently kiss her forehead. Why did she have to look so afraid of him every damn time he so much as flinched in her direction? He wasn't a gentle man by all means, but the more she cowered from him, the more he started to think the man she ran from was dangerous after all. A woman shouldn't be so blatantly terrified of men.

"Faye, this isn't your room," Gaston finally explained, exercising his patience, "It's ours."

Faye immediately shoved from Gaston then so that he could see her exasperation. & damn, she looked absolutely appalled to be sharing a room with her own husband. Gaston would have laughed at her spoiled reactions again if he couldn't tell how horrified she was; the girl knew how to make a man feel lower than a snake, didn't she?

"That isn't a funny joke, Monsieur Gaston," Faye announced in the most regal of tones, "It's shameful for a man & woman to share a bedroom. They should only be in the same bed if... if they are trying to make an heir..." Her face turned completely red at that statement, as though it were a sin to even mention sex. Gaston couldn't help but roll his eyes upward & pray for the strength not to grab Faye by the shoulders & shake some sense into her. Where the hell did this woman get her ideas about marriage & relationships, the damned British royal family? No one out in the country cared for such a radical sense of prudence.

Rather than fight Faye so early in the morning, Gaston forced himself to turn from her & went to the closet to search for his best suit, tucked all the way in the back behind his usual tunics & breeches. He all but ignored the woman still glaring at him in his state of impropriety, laying his clothes out onto the bed & taking his time in dressing for his wedding day. He was still reminding himself that he was doing this favor for Faye without any good reasons to, but he still couldn't convince himself to call things off. She was a pushy, frustrating, naive woman that didn't understand the first thing about relationships, let alone a romantic one.

But each time Gaston opened his mouth to mention maybe holding off the wedding, he shut it again. She would sigh from her side of the bed, glance over at him curiously, or he would remember the moment she looked completely defeated yesterday. He didn't want to see Faye without hope, it gnawed at him more than he could imagine anything else he could remember, & he still felt the guilt of trying to push Belle to marry him through her lunatic father. He didn't feel bad about putting the insane man in an institution, but he shouldn't have done it to get back at Belle. Faye possibly being left without options made him more concerned than his past sins, & it honestly shook him to his core to acknowledge it; Faye was almost a total stranger to him.

"It's today?" Faye asked quietly, sounding surprised. Gaston looked up to her as he finished pulling up his pants, shielding the main cause of Faye's concern from her view. He tried not to show his amusement at the way her body seemed to collectively relax, like she expected him to come after her for sex then & there. He couldn't even imagine what the upper-crust were teaching their children about the sexual aspects of marriage for her to be so worried about being in the same room as him while he was undressed.

"It's normal in this town to get married before the officiants come," Gaston explained, grabbing his dress shirt from the bed, "It's pretty rural here, so they maybe show up to the village once a month. We're allowed to be man & wife in the eyes of the law, but you could say the paper work is delayed. We're better off getting this over with as soon as possible if you want the other villagers here to see you as my wife & not a mistress."

Faye bristled at the mention of the other villagers seeing her as a woman of ill-repute, but kept herself from saying anything aloud. She watched Gaston & sulked for a bit, but she couldn't find a logical reason to think Gaston was lying to her. Gaston heard the rustle of fabric & footsteps, softer than his own, moving around him, soon followed by the click of his bedroom door being shut behind Faye. When he turned to the door, she had run off already, her wedding dress no longer hanging in the closet. At least she wasn't still trying to tell him what the hell was "proper" in a marriage, he had expected another fight from her. She did a lot of preaching for a woman with no experience on the topic.

..._..._...

By the time he finished dressing, Gaston felt much calmer... or, at least, he didn't feel like yelling at his fiancee anymore. Making his demeanor as nonchalant as possible, his made his way downstairs to find his bride. His attempt to be calm remained firm, but he still couldn't help but be overwhelmed when he saw Faye waiting in the front entrance for him. Her wedding dress was in a protective cover, & beside her was a small train case that Gaston presumed held whatever she needed for the ceremony. She was currently wearing the last dress in her suitcase, a beautiful, deep sapphire-blue dress that wonderfully contrasted against her freckles & hair. Why did the woman have to be so damn beautiful?

"Are you ready to go?" Faye asked as she noticed Gaston drawing near. A light blush graced the freckles on her cheeks & Gaston bit back a smile, despite his attempt to be nonchalant. He hadn't realized that he was watching her until she spoke to him, & hoped that she hadn't noticed how involved he was in staring. With a nod of his head, Gaston walked to Faye, took her dress from her hands carefully, & then proceeded to take her to the town church. LeFou greeted the couple in the market & trailed behind with some fruit, still trying to process what had changed yesterday.

Gaston seemed to have a softness towards Faye under his hard exterior that only someone who knew Gaston as well as LeFou could identify. Gaston wasn't one to hold things for anyone but his own mother, & while the way he crowded Faye may have appeared to be aggressive, to LeFou, Gaston looked like he was protecting her, his hand never really moving too far from the rolled whip fastened to his waist. Gaston acted more like an animal than a man around Faye, he decided, relying more on his instincts around her, keeping her safe without her even knowing it.

Curiously looking at the vendors as they passed, Faye walked at Gaston's side with her train case held firmly with both hands, doing her best not to give Gaston any acknowledgement. She wondered what she should do about him insisting on sharing a room over the soft thumps of her knees bumping against the case, her hands clenching & unclenching the handle over & over again. It wasn't until Gaston reached around his bride's shoulder that she even acknowledged his existence, her face turning red again.

"Monsieur, this is highly inappropriate," Faye whispered in embarrassment, "Please, unhand me." The rumble of a chuckle came from Gaston's throat at Faye's demand & his arm hauled her closer until he could feel her squished to his side & stumble a bit as she started to walk on her toes to keep footing on the ground. Finally, he let her walk normally but kept his arm about her as they strolled to the town church. It was entirely too amusing that Faye was struggling not to snap at him in public when he had no qualms about acting how he wanted to.

"I will show my bride affection wherever I please," Gaston announced softly, "If you want, look at it this way, no one will put their hands on you again like yesterday, not if they know for certain that you're mine."

There was no reply to this statement. Gaston turned his gaze to the woman & saw her expression screwed into a mixture of confusion & contemplation, like she didn't know how to respond to him. Gaston took quiet amusement in her frustration & continued to guide Faye to the church.

..._..._...

Gaston wasn't shocked to see his mother and three sisters arrive at the church shortly after he & Faye did. He considered beating LeFou into a bloody pulp for going behind his back to tell his family that he was marrying today, but in the end, it couldn't be helped. His mother had been hounding after Gaston to find the next potential mate ever since Belle had run off with a damn beast & left him without a bride. Yes, the woman was disgruntled that Gaston was without a wife & children, & became more demanding for grandchildren by the day. Her obsession with him building a family was tiring, & dealing with that in top of the nightmares of Beast shoving him into the ravine hadn't exactly put Gaston in the marrying mood during the past few years.

All of Madame Foret's dreams seemed to have come true when she finally laid eyes on Faye, seeing the young woman for herself. Quickly, she & Gaston's sisters took Faye's dress from the man & they rushed her into an empty room to dress her, already surrounding the confused girl with high-pitched squealing & greetings. Gaston stayed in the main chapel to greet the pastor & waited for the women to come back out. He sat in the front pew & found himself soul-searching a bit, despite his desire to never do that in a place like this one. Even if it was a business deal, he really deserve a bride like Faye after the hell he threw himself into with Belle? What if she realized that he was just a pitiful man trying to escape the nightmares of his past?

The sudden humbleness hit the hunter hard, but Gaston didn't let himself despair for too long, his pride quickly dragging his ego back to its feet. Of course he deserved Faye, he was the greatest thing she could have asked for in a husband. She had to know that, or she wouldn't be marrying him. When the thought that Faye was probably willing to marry any man that could protect her arose, he shoved that down as well. There was no emotional attachment in this marriage, he reminded himself; there didn't have to be. But he'd be damned before he allowed her to have a lover with him around.

"I don't know how you did it, Jean, but you've found yourself a fine bride."

Gaston bristled with anger at the sound of his mother's voice. He despised his first name, the borrowed identity of his birth father; it was like the woman didn't remember that they'd both been abandoned by that bastard, & it was a wonder that her second husband was willing to take her after the scandal of her first marriage. Though, it wasn't a complete shock that she'd snagged another man. Even as she was starting to age, Mariella Foret's black hair was still silky, & her brown eyes still sparkled as though she were a young maiden. When Gaston was younger, she was even more beautiful, any man would have killed to make her their own. Still, finding another man to actually marry her was another story.

"You know, Faye is a tiny thing, but I've seen younger & smaller give birth to healthy babes," Madame Foret announced, dragging Gaston back to the present, "You make sure to give me many grandchildren now. I won't be happy until I have ten, no, fifteen babies to spoil rotten!" Gaston couldn't help but smile at his mother's words & watched her as she came to his side & took a seat in the pew beside him. In her own odd way, he knew that she loved him, & she would love Faye as well. This was her way of wishing them luck in the future.

With Gaston relaxed, Mariella escorted him to the altar where the preacher waited. Gaston spent a quiet moment telling the man his age & other important information, feeling a bit out of place when he announced that Faye would be filling out her own information; he'd almost forgotten that he barely even knew her full name, yet here they were, marrying. Gaston shoved down the nagging guilt building up in his throat & went to wait at the main altar, wondering when his bride would be coming out.

As he waited, LeFou made his way to an empty pew as a few villagers wandered in for the ceremony, either curious or fancying themselves close enough to the Foret's to be there. Gaston's mother slipped her wedding bands into her son's hand as he continued to wait on Faye, & gave her a questioning look. Mariella rolled her eyes gave him a light tap on the head with her fan, as though he shouldn't be confused at all.

"After my beloved Henri passed, they laid waiting your you & your future bride in my jewelry box," the woman announced to her son as he rubbed his head, "They'll be put to better use on the two of you."

..._..._...

Faye felt ready to run away as she was dressed by Gaston's sisters. It hadn't fully dawned onto her that she was getting married until she stood at the mercy of three babbling girls as they fussed over her until her dress was adjusted into a more fashionable fit, enough make-up was rubbed onto her face to hide most of her freckles, & her frizzed mess of a mane was brushed into submission & then tamed into a loose bun.

The girls walked around the bride & addressed her wedding gown. Her simple, but feminine white dress fluttered about her now that it had been tucked & pinned to fit her body. For a few moments, Faye indulged herself by looking into a looking glass, shocked at her own transformation; she hardly recognized herself, & that truthfully made her happy.

As Gaston's sisters opened the door to the main room, Faye felt her knees weaken & saw Gaston at the end of the alter, watching her as she entered, waiting expectantly. Good lord, she was really doing this.  
On his end, Gaston wasn't doing much better than his nervous bride. She looked beautiful in her wedding gown, much more beautiful than he expected a bony thing like her to be, honestly; but there she was, looking the epitome of graceful & innocent as she approached, making Gaston begin to grow more nervous with every passing moment. The groom had two strong urges as the church piano began to play & summoned the bride down the aisle; one was to grab Faye, the rush the ceremony, & then finally drag her to bed. The other was to run away entirely. He knew that he needed to marry a woman & have children to carry on his family name, but how did he know that marrying Faye wasn't a complete mistake? When she wasn't pushing his sanity to the limit, she was just… too perfect. It was to the point that he was starting to develop a complex.

But, unable to help himself, Gaston felt tension easing away with every step Faye took toward him. Right, she was walking to him, he just had to stand here & wait for her to come to him. He also couldn't help but notice the glint of worry in his bride's eyes, & instantly, he wanted to be the one to comfort her. A slow smile covered his face & he noticed Faye relax just a bit when his hands reached out & he grasped hers, giving them a small squeeze. She was comforted by his presence, & likewise, he felt the same way, giving her hands another gentle squeeze.

From the pews, Madame Foret watched with her daughters as Gaston & his bride got the ceremony underway, & it took just a few moments for her to see that Faye was a hopeless romantic; the happy, tearful expression on her face when Gaston slipped his mother's old ring on her finger & recited his vows was too obvious to miss. The girl was giddy & excited as she recited her own vows, looking her groom directly in the eyes; Mariella was starting to believe that she might grow to really like Faye.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Faye whole-heartedly leaned closer to Gaston & rose up to her toes, her eyes closed & her cheeks reddened in her earnest attempt at their first kiss as a married couple. Mariella tried her best not to laugh & hid behind her fan as she watched Gaston become totally unglued by his bride's open gesture, unprepared for her behavior. His face was almost completely devoid of any emotion, carefully so, as he reached forward & grabbed Faye by the shoulders to keep her steady, moved his lips down to hers, & gently kissed her as the preacher announced that Jean Gaston Foret & Faye Arene Foret were now man & wife. There was clapping from the church-goers as the two parted, & Gaston allowed himself to enjoy the moment.

 _Faye Arene Foret_ ; Gaston liked the sound of that.


	7. Insistence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For what it's worth, I want to point out that I lived in South Louisiana at the time I originally wrote this fic, so much of the customs, foods, & so on are Cajun French, not so much European French. It's not the same thing, but I like the customs of New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Thibodaux, etc. & decided to incorporate that rather than do extensive research over some stuff most people don't care about, unless they're some crazy historical fiction buff. If that's the case, I'm sorry, this story isn't for you. >_>

Gaston enjoyed his & Faye's trek home from the church. As his small village's custom, the groom & bride interlinked hands & traveled together as the church bells sounded through town. Both his family & onlookers clapped & threw flowers to their feet as they made the short walk home, a small but enjoyable custom Faye seemed to be too fascinated by to walk very properly. His worries from earlier were pushed away by the intense satisfaction he received by almost literally waving his new bride in front of all the other young men in town; she was his prize, damn right he was going to show her off. He also noticed that quite a few of his previous flings didn't look very happy, probably realizing that with a wife, Gaston wouldn't have much time to indulge in casual sex anymore.

Finally the bride & groom arrived in front of their home, & before warning Faye, Gaston lifted the woman from her feet & carried her through the threshold, LeFou quickly scrambling to open the front door for them. Faye stared up at her groom as he shut the front door with his foot & set her to the floor, taking in what looked like a genuine smile from him; was it the pride, or his actual feelings for her shining through right now? His hands moved to slide to her shoulders as he stared back at her, his large fingers surprisingly gentle as he rubbed the back of his hand down her cheek.

"W-we should eat," Faye suggested quietly, suddenly shying from his touch, "I'm a bit hungry from skipping breakfast, what about you?"

The noise & excitement slowly died down outside as Gaston loosened the cravat from his neck, locked the front door, & followed Faye into the kitchen. He watched her trying to stall & avoid the consummation of their wedding, understanding a bit why she would be nervous; she was completely inexperienced. Thankfully, LeFou had already thought of breakfast, leaving a loaf of bread & jam on the table for the two of them to find. Faye walked back & forth through the kitchen as Gaston's gaze followed her, barely hiding the fact that her every route avoided her groom.

"Faye," Gaston called softly. As expected, his bride tried to ignore him & began to eat her own bread after setting his on a plate. Her hands were shaking a bit as she leaned against the table & ate, & Gaston had to hold in a groan. Damn it all, there she went again, making him feel like an ogre. All he wanted was to bed his bride, it wasn't that much of a selfish want, was it?

Slowly, Gaston moved forward again, trapping Faye between him & the table. Faye shut her eyes & kept her back to him as he gently took the bread from her hands & wrapped an arm around her body, easily able to pull her lanky frame into his own. The feel of her warmth so close to him, & her gentle scent was starting to drive him mad; he was going to lose his control if he didn't watch himself, & Faye was already jittery. Gaston hugged Faye closer to himself when she finally turned to face him & relax, resting his chin on her head; he didn't push her to go upstairs yet, or even mention that every husband & wife made love, sometimes pretty regularly.

"Faye," Gaston called her name again gently, & this time, Gaston's bride did what was expected of her. Faye leaned back & looked her groom in the eyes as her hands clumsily clung to the front of his dress coat. Her entire face red as she stared Gaston down, as were her ears & the part of her neck that was visible.

"You're going to insist that I share your bed tonight, aren't you?" Faye asked softly with a pout. Gaston's smile softened just a bit & he wrapped his arms tighter around her, his hand lazily rubbing circles into her back. As much as the hunter considered letting Faye a few weeks to prepare her heart, if she was really in the danger she suggested, they needed to make their union completely official. & it didn't help that he wanted her right now. Badly.

"Oh no, Faye," Gaston replied, "I want you in bed now." Faye immediately stiffened at the suggestion & began to push from Gaston with her gaze turned hellion. He'd expected such a reaction & already had his grip firm, even when the girl went as far as to slam a hand down on his shoulder; no, Faye wouldn't escape him just yet.

"This is highly inappropriate, husband," Faye insisted angrily, "Even children know that the marriage bed is only shared in the evenings." Gaston rolled his eyes & tried not to sigh in exasperation & wonder where she got these ideas. Faye & her damned marriage rules. Again.

"Faye, how the hell would you know anything about what's proper in a marriage?" Gaston growled impatiently, "You've been wedded only as long as me, & that's not even a full hour. Besides, what good is finding a husband who can protect you if anyone can annul our union? " Faye looked indignantly at Gaston at his insistence, seeming to be appalled that he didn't already know the answer to that.

"My mother taught me everything I needed to know, Jean."

"Don't call me that."

"Why not? It's your birth name."

"Well, I go by something different now."

Faye's eyes narrowed as she watched Gaston, her arms crossed across her chest. Gaston had to force himself not laugh at the temper tantrum, or stare at her bust as her arms pushed it upward; everything she did was provocative for him right now, & she didn't want him to even touch her. How was he supposed to get along with the woman if she didn't let up at all?

"I still don't understand why I can't call you Jean," Faye announced; her lips had formed into a pout as she stared up at Gaston. He didn't know whether to yell at the the damned woman or kiss her. It was probably safer just to kiss her… maybe.

Descending on his bride, Gaston moved his hands to Faye's cheeks & slanted his mouth over hers in a deep kiss. Faye's eyes widened at the new level of intensity, sufficiently quieted as he he wrapped one of his arms around her waist to keep her from falling back, quickly learning how to return the favor by responding to his passion. Gaston couldn't suppress the groan of satisfaction as he tasted Faye's mouth against his, just trying to make her as excited about sharing a bed as he was. He could offer her more kisses if she cooperated, & much more.

Faye was as sweet as the strawberry jam she'd eaten, & not a trace of liquor marred that sweetness, which was new for Gaston. She was much more affectionate than the bar wenches he was accustomed to; more innocent too, & more willing to follow his lead. But when Gaston began to unbutton Faye's dress, the young woman tensed & pushed him away away before the third button was even loose in its clasp. The hunter conceded to his bride & leaned back just, watching his bride recover from their kiss as he did the same. The sight of her rosy lips & flushed cheeks made him want to kiss her all over again, but he had to hold himself back.

"You may call me Jean in private," Gaston whispered softly into Faye's ear. The young woman nodded & she leaned back a bit more to look upon Gaston after she recollected herself some. She just couldn't understand why Gaston was suddenly okay with her calling him by his birth name, but he said & did so many things that she didn't understand. Leaning forward, Faye allowed herself to sink into Gaston's arms again, sighing as he wrapped his arms about her waist & back. Gaston did his best to hold back when the buttons of her dress ruffled under his fingers, but he did his best to hold himself back & not completely scare Faye away.

..._..._...

He left her alone on their wedding night. After Faye put her foot down & stated that she wouldn't share a bed with Gaston during the day, the frustrated man went upstairs, changed into his usual garb of a tunic & pants, & stormed out of their home angrily. Faye was quickly worried when her groom didn't return within the hour, & paced through the house for quite a many hours; she changed out of her wedding gown as soon as she could, did some more pacing, & still Gaston hadn't arrived home. It wasn't until LeFou showed up around dusk that she was told that Gaston had gone hunting; she'd spent all day trying to prepare herself for sharing a bed with her husband, & he went hunting? The damned man went hunting on their wedding day!

Enraged, Faye stormed upstairs & went into her room. She almost slammed her bedroom door, but didn't, knowing it would be "unladylike" to do such a barbaric thing. No, slamming doors was something Gaston would do. Once inside, Faye went to her suitcase & dug into it, grabbing her coin purse. There was just enough inside to get her some ale. If Gaston could be irresponsible on their wedding night, then she would show him up & be three times the child he was being.

"Please stay home," LeFou pleaded as Faye came downstairs, "Gaston really isn't gonna like this!". Faye ignored LeFou's blubbering & wrapped herself in a shawl to block out the evening chill before heading out to The Leaky Boot. Instead of chasing her this time, LeFou resigned himself to waiting out the tantrum & went back into the house. Faye should be safe after Gaston scared the customers straight, but really, it almost seemed like she had some kind of death wish.


	8. Rusty

After his disagreement with Faye, Gaston decided that he was only going to keep fighting with her & decided to let them both take a break, via doing his job. That way he could get some of his aggression out on his usual prey, & Faye could have the time she needed to prepare herself & accept him properly. She was frustrating him at every turn, but even she had to accept that their marriage was worthless if they didn't consummate.

He arrived home late in the evening with no one in sight. At first, he wasn't bothered that he didn't see Faye waiting up for him, there was no need in expecting his wife to stay up all evening when there would be times that he was gone for hours, perhaps days. The telltale sign that Faye was angry was that she hadn't bothered to leave him any food out on the table, but yet again, he was willing to let it go. Faye had all evening to ready herself for his return, & now he was there to finally consummate their marriage that she insisted on.

Gaston mentally prepared himself for his arguing with his bride & then proceeded to head upstairs, loosening the heavy hunting coat that hung from his physique. He wasn't very surprised that Faye wasn't in their bed, remembering the argument from that morning & decided she must have gone to hide in the guest room. Gaston changed out of his sweaty clothes & quickly washed himself at the basin before he was ready to go fetch Faye & bring her back to their room. Then, the hunter began to become concerned when he checked the guest room for his bride. Faye wasn't in the guest room, locked in the salon, nor hidden anywhere else in the entire house. She just wasn't in the house at all. Her suitcase, upon further inspection, was open at the foot of their bed & appeared to be rifled with, making him pause & narrow his eyes. There was no money in it.

Frustration set in & Gaston grit his teeth, sitting on the edge of the dining table as he tried to figure the places Faye could hide in town. There were only a few inns nearby, but she'd left her luggage in the bedroom, so it was unlikely that she'd run off. There was also the bar... dear God, The Leaky Boot. A low, dangerous growl rumbled from Gaston's throat & he straightened his body as he made for the front door. The poor chunk of wood that closed the front of his house wouldn't last a week with the way people had been slamming it the past few days. It squealed pitifully in protest when Gaston slammed it, as if begging for mercy. But Gaston gave no mercy & it closed with a loud thump before he strode over to The Leaky Boot to fetch Faye.

..._..._...

There was no huge commotion at the bar this time, but Gaston wasn't prepared for the sight he was greeted with when he stepped into The Leaky Boot. Faye was at the bar, completely unharmed, & had a swarm of the strongest, burly hunters & traveling thieves all around her. & they were all coddling her like a child. Gaston didn't fully understand the situation until he got closer & saw the tears; she was practically sobbing into the bar, soaking her sleeve while lazily grasping her tankard in another.

Rogue, a hunter who wasn't really known for being the kind sort, seemed to be the most worried about Faye. He had the most uncomfortable look on his face as he rubbed Faye's back & pulled out a kerchief for her, offering it. Another usually-abrasive man Gaston knew, "One-Eyed" Cyril slapped the pitiful cloth out of his hand & griped at Rogue for offering a filthy handkerchief to a lady, & ushered one of the gentlemen of town forward. He produced a clean kerchief & handed to Faye, who took it gratefully & daintily blew her nose into it. Gaston rolled his eyes at the theatrics & slowly advanced on the group.

Cyril was the first to notice Gaston & cut through everyone to prevent a fight. Most of the men noticed his actions & began to clear out, to where it was just Rogue comforting the sobbing Faye. Gaston tried to side-step Scotty at first, but the older man was rather burly & strong himself, as if aging had no effect on him. Gaston stopped trying to reach his wife when he realized that he couldn't quite bring himself to hit Scotty; he respected elders & the man himself just a bit too much.

"Look now, m' boy," Cyril commanded gruffly, "Ya only got yerself to blame for this one. The lady was doing just fine tonight until that knucklehead Rogue asked how you were doin'. Now she won't stop blubberin' Take er' home & sort things out in the mornin' when she ain't so pitiful." Gaston narrowed his eyes in Faye's direction once more & Cyril patted Gaston's shoulder in a comforting gesture. He was trying to give his bride some space, but Gaston couldn't be withheld anymore when she let out a pitiful wail. He finally pushed past Cyril then, making his way to the bar.

"H-he doesn't even wan' me, Monsieur Benoit," Gaston heard the girl sobbing as he stood behind her. Rogue awkwardly tried to convince her otherwise, but Faye wouldn't have it,rubbing her eyes with the kerchief again before downing a surprising amount of ale.

"He doesn'," Faye insisted, her voice slurring, "It's not just that he ran away on our weddin' night; he's always rude, he can' stand to be near me, & never once told me that I'm pretty; he could at least lie & tell me if he's gonna to gawk at me several times a day. Even tha horrid Whitley tol' me I was pretty." Rogue frowned lightly & began to pat her back instead of rubbing it. Gaston felt himself growing more impatient, wondering who the hell this Whitley was. Perhaps the man her father wanted to marry her to?

"What d'ya mean, Madame Faye?" Rogue asked, "You're plenty pretty; any man would be lucky to have you as his woman." Faye's face screwed into a look of annoyance & she shook her head vehemently, contradicting the man once more.

"I'm not," she admitted, "Mama always tol' me... she tol' me that I would never be as appealing to men to my sisters cuz' I'm a rusty." Both Rogue & Gaston looked at each other in confusion & Gaston opted to sit in the stool beside Faye as she allowed her head to lightly thump on the bar. He could tell then that she was too drunk to even notice him beside her as Rogue urged Faye to explain what a "rusty" was. Faye looked completely ashamed of herself as she rubbed her flushed, tired face with her hands.

"I'm calle' a rusty cuz' of m' hair & freckles," Faye mumbled softly, " The total opposite of what men want, y' know. They wan' ladies with silken hair, beautiful skin, & birthin' hips. Th' only man who asked for my hand was Lord Whitley, & tha' was only aft' Victora disappeared..." Rogue's face contorted into an expression of pity & confusion while Gaston kept quiet in his chair. The sympathetic man was still patting Faye's back; rather hard now that Gaston paid attention. He narrowed his eyes, but Rogue was too busy offering comfort to notice.

Faye had just confirmed Gaston's belief that she was from some aristocratic family, or at least somewhere with money; only damned blue bloods would ostracize a beautiful woman because she wasn't a certain 'type' of beautiful, they'd breed their children if only all their money allowed it. He on the other hand, had no such reservations, Faye was going to learn that he thought she was VERY beautiful even if she wasn't what she thought was ideal, whether she liked it or not. As a side note to himself, Gaston made the promise to himself that he would lay in a good, solid punch on Faye's father some day, even if it was for is own satisfaction. But right now, he needed to focus on getting Faye home. She would be in here wailing all night if he let her.

"Rogue, if you don't stop beating bruises into my wife's back, I swear I'll-" Gaston didn't have to finish his sentence, for Rogue was rushing over to his own table already, "If anyone's going to comfort my wife, it's going to be me."  
Faye looked up at Gaston with the most pitiful expression on her face, & Gaston couldn't help but melt a bit at the sight. He carefully scooped her from her stool & let her cuddle against him as he headed for the front door; Faye felt like she put up a weak fight for a moment, but she was no match for Gaston even sober & allowed him to hold her. Everyone seemed to be watching intently as he left, Faye had done a fine job making him the laughing stock of his favorite bar. The urge to tan Faye's backside & discipline her like a child crossed Gaston's mind until he heard another sniffle escape her lips, quickly growing frustrated that her distress made him heel almost immediately. He sighed at her pitiful behavior & squeezed Faye tighter against him in an effort to comfort her as Cyril opened the front door & he stepped out into the night.

..._..._...

LeFou was standing at the door step when Gaston returned home, covered nearly head to toe in mud & blubbering; the frantic look in his eyes & the obvious loss in his breath was a telltale sign that he'd been searching for Gaston, probably in the woods. Gaston didn't know whether to be proud of the young man's loyalty, or concerned that he went into such a panic. LeFou had taken to his wife immediately, Gaston knew that much, & he'd snap LeFou's neck if he thought that he'd take Faye's attention from him. For now, he just forced himself to not be so territorial & be thankful that LeFou cared so deeply.

"Go home," Gaston commanded LeFou as he propped Faye on one arm & opened the front door. It creaked pitifully from recent abuse & swung open wide as LeFou nodded, hurrying off down the street to go to his own home. Gaston rolled his eyes at the clumsy man running off before stepping inside & closing his front door, locking it tight. No one was coming in the house tomorrow until he allowed it.

Faye had already passed out against him by the time he kicked off his boots & curled against him, an action that rather pleased him. With both of his arms free, Gaston cradled her in his arms once more & headed upstairs to their bedroom. Once inside, he gently deposited Faye into bed & tried to decide what he should do next; he couldn't very well enough leave her in her clothes, & they were married... now would come the task of getting her dressed for bed, Gaston supposed.

With a sigh of frustration, Gaston moved over his bride & pulled off her shoes & stockings, throwing the garments onto the floor. It was a more painstaking process to move Faye to her stomach to unclasp her dress, the girl having a real problem with not being flat on her back. She wiggled insistently against him, but eventually he won out, the faintest of mumbles escaped Faye's lips when he pulled off the dress & opened her corset. Gaston almost burst into laughter at the sight of Faye curling up on the bed as she laid in just a silken chemise & her pantaloons before he went to grab a nightgown then set about the task of getting it on her.

The hunter grit his teeth in pure effort not become too aroused while wrestling his bride again, feeling her warm, silken flesh under his fingers & pulled her gown over her head, just enough to cover her upper body. It was another full task to undo her corset once she was covered, but it slid off easily after he loosened the ties, also wondering to himself why such a thin woman would even bother with a corset.

Gaston threw the offending clothing with the rest of Faye's clothes once she was pulled free of it, somehow managing to drag her limp arms through the sleeves of her gown & then pull her pantaloons off as well. It proved to be a more difficult task than removing the corset, he almost pulled off her bloomers with the pantaloons, & that itself made him think of just stripping Faye completely bare & forcing her to perform the task that only his wife could. Somehow, he held back his need, pulling Faye to her side of the bed & pulling the blankets up to her ears. All of her wiggling & squirming finally stopped as she rested there, looking more peaceful than Gaston had ever seen anyone before. He had to wonder to himself as he rubbed his neck & stood up to get undressed so he could sleep... or at least try to.

The hunter wasn't stupid; Faye was almost completely naked under her nightgown, & he knew he wasn't allowed to touch her. That meant he would have to suffer all through tonight. That was going to be pure hell for a man like him, he'd never been denied the touch of a woman in bed. Why didn't his bride willingly come to him like other women? Sure, she was a virgin & the others most definitely weren't, but she had to know that a man like him was greatly desired for a reason. But maybe she wouldn't know that, she wasn't around long enough to hear rumors about it prowess; & maybe that was for the best.

"Good night, Faye," Gaston grunted dryly as he climbed in. She was still unconscious when she scooted closer to him in her sleep, tonight of all nights, & cuddled into his warmth under the blankets. His only reprieve was that Faye was all curled up into the fetal position again, minimizing the contact he had against her, at least in the lower regions.

Tonight was still going to be rough on him.


	9. Hangover

Sleep came to Gaston that night, for the first time in a long while. Maybe it was he was too preoccupied with being sandwiched against Faye to be worried about his memories. The experience of being cuddled against a woman he couldn't have sex with was one of the most frustrating moments of his life, & he'd washed up on a river bank mangled & beaten before. How the two of those things were comparable, he'd never understand, but the following morning, he was almost wishing to be thrown from the beast's castle again. He was aware of Faye moving a couple of times in the night, always moving closer when his body inched away in the slightest bit.

Gaston awoke grunting at his face was shoved into something soft & plush, almost suffocating him. Faye had shifted in her sleep & she clung to him now, her breasts shoved into his face & her small arms wrapped around his neck. Gaston rolled his eyes & carefully unlatched his unconscious bride from him & instead tucked her against his chest. Faye still clung to him after he moved her, but at least he could breathe now; her breasts felt much bigger when they were shoved into his face like a smothering device; he imagined any woman's would.

Suddenly, Gaston felt amused by his absurd situation, his fingers gently sliding through the tangled mess of her hair. His bride acted more like a beast than a lady, he decided, kissing her forehead. Faye was already shattering his previous expectations of marriage. She was pushy, opinionated, & apparently didn't keep still at all when she was asleep. Even growing up in a house full of sisters hadn't prepared him for living full-time with such a unpredictable woman. Honestly, he was still trying to process the fact that he'd managed to accomplish his longtime goal of marrying a pretty girl, & how that goal paled in comparison to actually being with Faye herself. She wasn't what he'd been pursuing at all, nor did he really need the massive dowry she probably had.

As Gaston mused to himself, his bride was slowly waking up, & making the most awful sounds of pain. Gaston smiled when she pushed stubbornly on his chest now that she was aware of their closeness, his straong hands tucking her face under his chin to keep her eyes shielded from the morning light. There was a heavy chill in the air from quickly-approaching autumn outside, but it was more likely that Faye was reacting to a hangover. She was going to hate today quite a bit, it would be filled with aching, groaning, & possibly vomit. He didn't understand how a woman her size knocked back so much ale in one night, but she was going to learn the hard way it was a bad idea. Luckily for her, Gaston was feeling charitable today, & would do whatever he could to help her through it. He didn't want to admit it, but seeing the huge lack of ego she had yesterday had gotten to him; if anyone knew what it was like to feel so disappointed in themselves, it was Gaston.

"Faye, stay in bed," Gaston ordered in what he thought was a gruff, commanding tone. To Faye, however, Gaston sounded incredibly tender & calming, especially with his warm hands rubbing down her back in another attempt to relax her. She responded to the gentleness, too focused on her pounding head & aching limbs to grouch at him for being in her bed again, or for his state of undress.

Faye resisted clinging to Gaston's warmth as he pulled away from her, wrapping the covers back around her body, cocooning her in warmth. With the slide of his hand, he closed the curtain over the bed & submerged the bedroom into darkness. Moments later, a match was lit across the room & the fireplace set aglow, drying the humidity in the air & warming up the bedroom.

Faye stayed in bed as she was ordered, & wondered to herself why Gaston was being so hospitable all of a sudden. She was so sure yesterday that he would be furious about her drinking at the bar, but he didn't bring it up once while he shuffled around the dimly lit room & set about putting on his underclothes. Was it because she was his wife now? Did he feel the need to protect her because she was his responsibility? There was some rustling near the closet as she wondered what her husband was up to by being so kind, Gaston coming back into her view as he slipped on his favorite red hunting tunic on top of his pants & then straightened out his usual hair tie.

"Why?" Faye asked softly in the gentle glow of the firelight. There was a bit silence afterward, but Gaston had heard the question clearly as he buttoned up the top of his tunic; he didn't want to admit why he was being helpful, that he was concerned for her well-being. He was dressed by the time he sat on the edge of the bed & let his hand settle onto Faye's warm forehead, checking her temperature; she didn't feel clammy or overly hot, which relieved him a bit.

"The sooner you get better, the sooner I can bed you properly," Gaston muttered, almost nonchalantly. Damn; why did he have to say that? It was supposed to be a jab, but Faye looked like she was about to cry now. The young woman turned over & faced away from Gaston, burying her face into the covers in an obvious show of depression. He resisted the urge to laugh at her dramatic actions & sat down on the edge of the bed, gently combing a few curly tangles from the coppery waves of hair that spilled around her on the pillows. Her hair was softer than it looked, & it floated gracefully over his fingers, almost mesmerizing him.

"Faye, I can't tell you how much I want you," Gaston admitted in a gruff voice, "Redressing & sleeping next to you last night was one of the hardest feats in my life. I can't tell you how tempted I was to take advantage of the situation then & there, but I knew you would never forgive me." Faye stayed where she was, even though she had relaxed quite a bit; so he didn't find a rusty like her repulsive? Maybe her mother was right when she told Faye would be more suited to find a lower-class husband; men of her family's status were choosy because they could afford it. They could afford it so much that her two sisters were already married off before her parents could tackle the task of selling her off to a willing husband; what other reason would there be for all of this? It was still good to know that Gaston thought she was pretty, if they were going to be married.

"Faye?" Gaston called suddenly. Faye looked up at the man; his expression was as stern & commanding as usual.

"Promise before me & your vows to God that you will obey me & never touch ale again," Gaston demanded, a bit more harshly than he originally intended. But Faye understood the command all the same & nodded in agreement. Even as tense as Gaston was, the worry in his gaze was unmistakable.

"I promise," Faye relented with a sigh as Gaston lifted her chin to match gazes.

"You promise what?"

"Not to touch ale again."

"To whom, Bride?"

"Why are you calling me your bride still?"

"Faye…"

"To you & my vows to God... happy?"

Gaston nodded in satisfaction & gently released Faye's chin. Her brow was furrowed a bit as she relaxed back into her pillow, & he could tell she still had a fierce headache, even if she was adept at holding her composure.

"Why did you call me your bride?" Faye asked again suddenly. Gaston sighed & tried to remain patient with her as he stood up from the bed & made sure she was still snuggled in the blankets, getting a bit of distance between them in case she grew violent with him.

"I call you my bride because you are just that," the man said a bit impatiently, "You will be my bride until our marriage is consummated."

The embarrassed blush that stained Faye's cheeks & the widening in her eyes was too much for Gaston to resist; smiling gently, the hunter sat back down on the edge of the bed, leaning over his prey & allowed his lips to settle on hers. Even with the lingering taste of ale on her tongue, Faye was sweet. With his fingers tangling in her hair, Gaston deepened the kiss & pushed his warm tongue into her mouth. He was almost surprised that she didn't try to push him away, but started to kiss him back just as eagerly. As much as the hunter wanted to keep going, it wasn't right, Faye wasn't in the condition do have sex with him right now.

Immediately, Gaston stopped & pulled away from the bed, creating space between them again while he smoothed a hand through his hair. What the hell was he doing? Faye was invalid enough to be confined to bed, & here he was attacking her like some undisciplined boy. Usually, he had such control & restraint over himself, but around Faye, it was as if he didn't know what patience was. He chalked it up to the frustration of being near her all the time without the permission to act on his urges, not wanting to think about it any longer.

Gaston rubbed his fingers over Faye's forehead & allowed her to settle down again. She stared at him quietly while he soothed her without a word uttered, squinting her eyes just a bit as she strained to fight sleep. Her expression was a bit unreadable now, & that frustrated him a bit. Moving his fingers to her hair, Gaston ruffled it lightly & let out a chuckle when she scowled up at him; she was much cuter when he could read her expressions.

"Take a nap, Faye," Gaston muttered, pulling the blankets up to her cheeks, "I'll have LeFou will bring you medicine & food soon, I'm going out to hunt. Do you like rabbit stew?" Faye nodded & closed her eyes when Gaston kissed her forehead. Without another word, her husband stepped out of the room & gently shut the door behind him. Faye was left alone in the room & curled up, looking over her shoulder cautiously before she grabbed Gaston's pillow & hugged it against her face; it smelled just like Gaston did, & it was still warm from him using it. Within moments, the warmth of the bed had lulled her into a sleep.

With her last thoughts before sleep took over, Faye promised herself that she would later chastise her husband for helping himself to her room again. But for now, he could think he got away with it. After all, he was being so gentle to her right now, & she didn't want to make him angry & have them go back to fighting. She wondered to herself if Gaston would continue to be more sweet to her as time passed, if maybe the two of them could be married beyond just the surface. She definitely wanted that.

..._..._...

Gaston wasn't surprised to see LeFou on the front doorstep, just waiting for him to come out & get him since Gaston has locked up his house last night, for once. Some days he didn't know if he should pity the man or to commend him for such loyalty towards him, but then not many other villagers seemed to have a good opinion of the really short man; folks around these parts could be a little judgmental, & LeFou's stunted height & lisp certainly gained a few stares from the less polite folks around here.

"Make sure Faye eats something & drinks water," Gaston ordered, "Don't touch her otherwise."

Grabbing his musket & coat beside the front door, the hunter stepped out into the cool air of morning, gesturing LeFou to go inside. LeFou nodded, giving his boss a small wave as he walked down the front steps & then marched towards the woods behind the cottage, a man on a mission. Gaston was going to make sure Faye had rabbit stew for supper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, yeah. She only has a hangover. But back then, even the smallest illnesses could spiral into a world of Hell, so people were SUPER careful. Plus, it was an excuse to get Gaston to pamper his woman. Shhh, don't tell him I said that.~


	10. Expectations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY BATMAN ALL OF THE NOTIFICATIONS I GOT FOR THIS STORY FROM THIS WEEK. I'm going to blame the new Beauty & the Beast movie, but either way, welcome new readers! I just came back from a pretty long hiatus from writing fanfiction, so please bear with me while I try to get myself back into the swing of it.

Mariella Foret decided to pay her son a visit that afternoon, much to his chagrin. He had barely walked up the front steps with two limp rabbits in his grip when she came bouncing down the drive, giving him an excited wave. Everything had been going on just fine without the meddlesome woman coming in & trying to push anything between him & his wife; Gaston knew that Mariella meant well & that she wasn't a cruel person, but her obsession with acquiring grandchildren was relentless. She was a couple years too late for that though, he wasn't in much of a mood for trying to have any lately. He didn't even know if he & Faye were going to last through the end of that year. What a sobering thought, Gaston was married & still partially convinced that Faye would vanish into thin air on him.

"Jean, I would love to meet with your wife today," the woman announced as she clasped her hands in front of her body & tilted her head to the side, "Is she free at the moment?" Gaston frowned at his mother's optimistic grin & bouncy attitude, letting his rabbits hang by their legs on a meat hook, the front door opening with LeFou coming outside.

"Faye is sick right now, Mother," Gaston sighed, pulling off his coat & walking inside. Mariella gave him an unconcerned snort & walked into the cottage with him, already wandering to the salon & making herself at home. Of course she wasn't leaving, the woman had to inspect Faye more formally now, & there was no stopping that. There was no doubt where he'd gotten his bull-headed attitude from, though Mariella had more of a... finesse to her pushiness that a large, powerful man simply wasn't capable of.

"I think I will wait for your wife to feel better, Jean," Mariella announced with a pushy grin, "I'm sure it can't be all that bad." He tried his best to ignore his mother as she settled on the settee & looked at him expectantly. Before Gaston knew what he was doing, he was already going upstairs to check on his bride. As luck would have it, Faye was still asleep & curled up in bed, allowing Gaston time to clean himself of the sweat on his body without a tantrum from Faye, & then hopefully get his mother to leave, even though he knew better than that. Poor Faye would just have to be subjected to the woman's lust for grandchildren until he could get her to leave somehow.

..._..._...

Faye announced that she felt much better in the late afternoon when Gaston came up bully her into drinking a fourth glass of water since that morning. Gaston reluctantly agreed to let her get up & went downstairs as she dressed, barking at LeFou to make tea for her & his mother. When Faye came downstairs, Gaston noted that most of the color had returned to her face, but she still looked just a bit bothered by her headache. What annoyed Gaston was that she had makeup on again. With a growl, her dragged Faye over to the sink, gently rubbing a wet cloth over her face & removing the annoying powder.

"Jean, I want to look presentable for your mother," Faye insisted as her husband dabbed the wash cloth & wiped her face once more.

"You don't need it, Faye," Gaston told her quietly, "This stuff is for girls who don’t have a pretty face."

Faye was completely thrown off guard by her husband's statement, staring up at him as he tossed the rag away & finally relaxed somewhat. Was Gaston trying to compliment her? Faye couldn't tell if he was making fun of her now, or if he really meant that she didn't need makeup. While Gaston gently rubbed Faye's shoulders over, Lady Foret appeared in the doorway, watching them with an enamored expression on her face; she'd never seen Gaston stumble with his words before, especially in front of a woman.

"How adorable," Mariella gushed excitedly. Gaston tensed up & glared over at the woman, but she simply smiled back & snapped her fan open, walking back to the salon. Faye blushed in the wake of Mariella's departure, quietly following after Gaston when his hand closed over hers & he dragged her to the salon.

"Faye, keep Mother busy for a bit; LeFou finish that damn tea; Mother… behave yourself with my bride."

Gaston barked his orders & left out the front door, heading outside to skin his rabbits for supper; he couldn't imagine that Faye would be happy to see dead, furry critters on their kitchen table in all honesty. Besides, the last thing he wanted to be around for was his mother gossiping with Faye, there was only one thing on that woman's mind, he knew better.

..._..._...

Faye felt a bit out of place as her mother-in-law sat on a chair across from the sofa, motioning to Faye for her to sit down as well. Faye did as the older woman requested & sat down, neatly fixing her dress so it wasn't wrinkled or pleated incorrectly. Gaston's mother watched the girl fidget nervously & smiled a bit, remembering Faye's position all too clearly when she wed Gaston's birth father. The expectations of a new bride were crushing, but coddling the girl would only let her assume it was okay to hide from Gaston forever.

"Lady Faye, I know what happened last night," Madame Foret announced, "You know, your exploits have been gossiped about all over town already, you have quite the reputation for being a thrill-seeker. But, I digress, what I wanted to talk to you about was how you & Gaston probably didn't... spend quality time together last night."

Faye stiffened in her seat & looked at Mariella apprehensively. She didn't like the direction this conversation was heading in at all. She'd heard of the "morning after conversation" from her sisters, but was shocked Lady Foret would conduct it without her husband present; well actually, it shouldn't be so bad since she & Gaston didn't have sex the night before. Would Faye also have to present the blood on her sheets when Gaston finally bedded her too? She'd heard stories from other girls... Madame Foret didn't seem to notice Faye's apprehensiveness & continued on.

"You certainly stuck it to my boy last night, Faye," the woman said in a merry tone, "I bet he'll think twice about abandoning you in such a way ever again. I don't exactly approve of spending quality time with the riff-raff inside of a bar, but I suppose you were safe surrounded by men that know to fear Jean's wrath." Faye looked down at her hands & the Mariella reached forward over the coffee table, gently patting Faye's bunched-up fingers to soothe her; those fingers were cold from the autumn winds, very much unlike Gaston's. Her husband's hands were always incredibly warm, she realized with a blush; why was that?

"Lady Faye, have you & my son-"

"N-no, Madame, Nothing of the sort."

Mariella smiled & fluttered her fan a few times, remaining patient but firm with her new daughter-in-law. Her eyes sparkled in amusement as she watched the embarrassed Faye fidget before her.

"I want you call me Mama Mariella, Faye," the woman assured her softly, "You are a Foret as well now, you're family. I will not tolerate a woman with no pride in being my son's wife." Faye nodded in embarrassment & looked down at her hands again. This woman was going to hate her if she kept being so clumsy; she just knew it.

"Faye, are you afraid of my Jean?" Mariella pried on with a teasing expression. Faye looked up at the woman in utter confusion. Why would she be afraid of her own husband?

"Of course not," Faye responded easily, "I would ever fear him. My husband has done nothing but protect & take care of me since the moment we met." That was a lie, really. Until this morning, Gaston's every action seemed to be centered on terrorizing her; she was still surprised that he'd gone out of his way to nurse her hangover. But Mariella looked so pleased with this news that Faye didn't dare say otherwise.

"I just wonder because… well, you seem hesitant to consummate this marriage," Mariella announced, ignoring Faye's mortification, "If you don't want him to be intimate with you, my dear, you must say it now before things get out of hand. You can still annul this marriage if you don't want him to touch you."

Faye nodded & looked down again. She knew it was unavoidable, but still, couldn't she & Gaston be married without all of this bedding business? Her mother had always insisted it was an unpleasant, messy thing that should be avoided until her husband was ready for children. Did this mean Gaston wanted children already? Perhaps people out in the country preferred to have more children than back at home.

"Madame, I just... I don't want to disappoint him," Faye admitted softly, "What If I can't please him? What if I consummate the marriage with Jean & we realize that we've both made a terrible mistake?"

Mariella smiled warmly at Faye, standing from her seat as the salon door opened. Gaston narrowed his eyes at the two of them, wondering what his mother was up to. Their voices were too quiet outside for him to hear in the hallway, so he had to come inside to check. With a loud, excitable woman like Mariella, quiet conversations were usually not a good sign.

"Faye, I wouldn't be too worried if I were you.," Mariella replied honestly, "Just have a little faith; my son is a brash & prideful man, but he knows that he should treat the woman who will be at his side for the rest of his life with respect."

Gaston could have sworn his mother put every bit of seriousness into her being for a few moments as she shifted her gaze to him. _Don't repeat the mess you started with that Belle girl;_ he could almost hear her lecturing him out loud, he couldn't remember another time his mother had been so... disappointed. None of the village had the nerve to persecute him when they'd so eagerly joined in on his manhunt to take down Belle's beast, but his mother held no punches. He'd done so many underhanded things to try  & coheres Belle, he misused his favor & power in the village to try & put a harmless old man (however crazy he was) into the nearby asylum, & the worst of it, almost didn't come home alive. Gaston couldn't begin to imagine the hell he'd put his mother through in the days villagers searched for him in the ravine, most expecting to turn up a cadaver from the lake beds.

With a short curtsy, Mariella stepped around Gaston, patted his cheek affectionately, & left the salon, pushing her son in & sliding the door shut without vocalizing her warnings to him; just like that, Madame Foret was content with her meeting with Faye & was on her way back home. Gaston sighed at his mother before turning back to check on Faye, who was sitting at the sofa & looking down at the hands in her lap. She was wringing the hell out of her dress, too, looking like she was determined to rip it. What the hell were those two talking about?

With a sigh, Gaston walked over to Faye, sitting down onto the sofa with her. His large frame crowded her against the side, Faye blushing darkly as she tried to scoot away. Gaston took his time propping his feet onto the coffee table & wrapped an arm about Faye's waist, pulling her against his side more purposefully. Faye was completely rigid for a moment, still not trusting the liberties Gaston took in pulling her close, but forced herself to remained focused on the subject still ringing in her mind.

"You're going to insist tonight, aren't you?" Faye asked. Gaston scowled as she saw the look of frustration in Faye's gaze, his grip on her tightening on her side a bit.

"Damn right," the hunter responded with a drawl, "I don't see why the hell you wouldn't want to right now."

"Because it will hurt," Faye confessed, & rather loudly. Gaston was a bit taken aback by his bride's reason. His annoyance came back in full on when he realized that she was probably trying to make him feel pity for her; what she didn't know was that it hurt him _not_ to have sex, to be so close to her all the time  & not be able to do a damned thing about it. At least, he couldn't do anything that wouldn't be totally deplorable. Even at his most desperate, Gaston refused to physically force a woman to lie with him, whether it was honor or pride.

"Faye, sex is not going to hurt." Gaston grumbled, reaching up & rubbing Faye's lower back to calm her down. Petting hunting hounds on the back calmed them in times of agitation, did it work for women too?

"Oh yes it is," Faye fought him, "Mama said it hurts."

"Well, it might just a bit at first, but-"

"You just contradicted yourself!"

Gaston wasn't rubbing his bride's back anymore. He was gripping it. Hard. He hadn't even noticed until Faye had slapped his hand away. Gaston sighed & placed his hands on either sides of her face, forcing the difficult woman to meet his gaze, uninterrupted.

"Have faith in me, Bride," the hunter commanded her softly, "& that's an order. Understood? I'm more than capable of making sure that you will enjoy yourself, so stop acting like you're meeting a death sentence."

Immediately, Gaston felt like a snake. Faye looked so disheartened by his demand, & it was frustrating to know that she had such little trust in him. But God help him, his own wife wasn't going to call the shots in his household. He could just hand his trousers over to her now if he didn't hold his ground with Faye in this. & did she really have to make everything about being married so damned hard? It was his job to provide a comfortable life for the both of them, & her job was to please him, as well as give him children. One way or another, Faye was going to learn her damn place as wife.

"Faith requires trust, Jean," Faye mumbled, "&... trust has to be earned, doesn't it?"

Gaston felt himself melt inside at the sound of his name, despite himself. Sharing a name with his worthless father was the highest insult, but it didn't feel like an insult when Faye said it. But he didn't dwell; she had a good point about trust & he had to admit, she was smarter than he originally thought. Most of the women in his life trusted first & learned later; it was how his mother was left to fend for herself by his father. Faye apparently only gave her trust to those who she felt earned it; he liked that, But, by God, she was going to share a bed with him tonight even if he had to drag her by the hair. They needed to make their marriage official in spirit & body soon, & having his beautiful bride walking around his home unclaimed was driving him up the wall.

"Let me earn your faith tonight, Faye," Gaston announced, mustering up his most confident tone, "If you truly hate the way I make love to you, we will never do it again. I swear. I don't want to push you to move so quickly, but we've already made our vows, we live in the same house; our marriage will be completely void if we haven't consummated before an officiant arrives in town this month." Faye looked up into Gaston's eyes & saw that he was, indeed, telling the truth. Or rather, her husband looked too sure of himself for her to think he would fail. She couldn't help but feel a little relieved at his certainty, but Faye could also see the determination in Gaston's eyes; he wouldn't just let her wiggle away at the first chance she got & feign indifference.

"I... I should help LeFou with cooking, Husband," Faye told Gaston as he leaned into her, his lips almost touching her own; damn didn't she know how to read a situation? All he wanted was a bit of affection from her right now, he'd behaved enough to earn at least that, hadn't he? With a low sigh, Gaston kissed Faye's forehead & stood from the sofa, helping her to her feet as well; he wouldn't force it on her, there would be no point if she didn't want to. Together they walked into the kitchen, Faye going to help LeFou finish cooking their rabbit stew, the meat & vegetables already painstakingly chopped up & on the counter. Gaston wanted to boast about his efforts to provide the meat, but it didn't seem proper after their exchange in the other room.

A rare occurrence, Gaston moved to the table & watched with curiosity as his bride & LeFou prepared dinner. Faye struggled to follow LeFou's advice while they cooked, & Gaston was starting to come to an odd realization; she didn't know anything about cooking, in fact, he was certain his home would be burnt down right now if it wasn't for LeFou following closely behind the whirlwind of a woman. The amused hunter held in a chuckle as she watched her almost put mushrooms into the pot before the other vegetables, wherein LeFou stepped in & taught her her the correct order of adding ingredients, Gaston's eyes gleaming with amusement. What kind of woman at her age didn't know how to cook?


	11. Visitors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my, two chapters edited in a week! I'm so proud of myself right now.~

Faye's virtue was preserved that evening, using the most underhanded trick she could as a woman; apparently, she started her menstrual cycle just in time, when Gaston had finally gotten her to agree to consummating their marriage. After Faye was left alone in their bedroom for a short while to freshen up, she came out & greeted Gaston in the hall with tears & apologies both spilling out. For a brief moment, Gaston wondered if women had control over their monthly season, or perhaps Faye prayed her very hardest to be freed of sex with him, & God delivered. He wondered to himself as her gently patted Faye's back & comforted her if he actually died after his fall & was now enduring hell; certainly he hadn't been _that_ terrible in his past. But as much as Gaston felt inclined to be hurt by the mere idea of Faye avoiding his advances out of spite, her unbridled tears were all it took for him to cave  & take her to bed without fighting her on it.

During the next couple of days, Faye seemed emboldened by her newfound immunity. She was suddenly clingy, keeping close to her husband & wanting to be around him when he was home. She watched him curiously when he shaved his face in the morning, she hovered around when he polished his musket or maintained his hunting traps out in the back shed. While Gaston enjoyed that she was less bashful to spend time with him, he found himself taking more odd jobs in town than he usually would, even volunteering to help with the construction of a new inn so he could avoid too much interaction with Faye during the day time. Having to deal with the awkward stares & not-so-subtle gossip among watchers was worth him being able to relax his urges & ignore the physical reaction his very-unattainable wife's presence brought out of him; it also helped that he was thoroughly exhausted whenever he returned home, it made him less inclined to touch or fondle his bride in a way that would make her snap it him. In a way, Faye was receiving her courting after all.

After supper, Goston was about to get more information out of Faye than he had in the past days. If he brought up a harmless topic about the village or the weather, she would eventually chatter absently about something as he held her by the fire. She usually went on about something LeFou taught her that day, or stories about the woman she'd been searching for when she came to town. Victoria Brooke was the wild, upper-class woman young men dreamed about. She was rich, wild, & free, taking risks & sneaking out of her parents home in the evenings to do only Faye could guess what. Faye insisted that Victoria seemed to be calming down quite a bit when she was announced to be married to a Lord Nathaniel Whitley, but the problem was of course, that she was missing now.

It was nice to have some holes filled in about Faye's past, she let things slip while she talked about her friend, slowly revealing a history of her wealthy, British upbringing. This explained both her naivete when it came to worldly knowledge, he didn't expect many wealthy women needed to know much about things like that. It also made more clear that Faye lacked knowledge of dialect when she spoke French; while Faye was very fluent, she didn't understand accents some of the villagers had, subtleties in their pronunciations threw her off from time to time. Gaston also deciphered that his wife's father, although wealthy, was a self-made man, probably new money & not an aristocrat; Faye vaguely mentioned her father's connections with a merchant's guild, or that he would have to go on voyages to acquire materials to sell.

With more information, & Faye's maiden name from their wedding certificate, Gaston decided to hire old friends of his to seek out information. His curiosity was piqued about Victoria's disappearance, & he was also a bit concerned about how worried his wife's parents must be. His own mother probably wouldn't be eating or sleeping this whole time, just wasting away while waiting for her child to come back home. Even if Faye was made to feel like she wasn't the ideal beauty, there was no way her parents didn't at least love her. If only he could understand why she was so unwilling to tell him directly about her past & family. Did she think he would ship her back if she wasn't careful? He'd already made vows to be her husband, he wasn't going to go back on his word just like that.

..._..._...

On the third day of enduring his forced celibacy with Faye, Gaston felt his resolve tested to new limits. He didn't go into town, too irritable waking from one of his nightmares & the soft, pitiful sound of Faye groaning & flopping to her side like a fish. Gaston dragged himself to sit up & lean over Faye as she whined about the aching from her hips to her knees, coupled with her body shivering that made him grow nervous. Even as winter settles in the village, his home was sturdy & sealed tight, their room was as warm & toasty as he could stand it all night. Did a woman's menses make her that sensitive to the cold?

"I'll go town & fetch the doctor," Gaston grunted, frowning when Faye's hand shot out to grab his arm to keep him from going; her knuckles grew white at the effort she exerted, which meant that she thankfully still had some strength to her. She looked so pitiful as she stared up at him, soon he was wiping a tear from her cheek & wrapping an arm around her body as he settled back down. With a sigh, Gaston laid beside Faye, wrapping a protective arm about her & resting his head on hers.

"Some months are just worse than others," Faye finally mumbled quietly, "Usually, it doesn't hurt this bad, but sometimes..."

Gaston gave Faye a grim nod, leaning in & kissing the top of her head to quiet her. Part of him still wanted to go with his plan anyway, but knowing how prudish his wife was, she'd probably die of embarrassment if she had to deal with a strange man in the bedroom. The couple stayed in bed for time time, & after Faye's pain subsided, Gaston continued to let his wife have her way & helped her get out of bed that morning, even being a gentleman & allowing her some privacy to get herself situated & dressed for the day, with the condition that she wasn't allowed to wear her corset, or she'd only cause herself more pain. When Gaston threatened to thoroughly grope her body to make sure she followed his order, Faye responded with angry shouting & banished him from the bedroom.

Gaston sat at the kitchen table & ate plain bread for breakfast as he listened to Faye moving around upstairs, attempting to forget his nightmare from the night before. Irrational fear made him want Faye in his sight just as much as she wanted him around lately, but he reminded himself not to act on his paranoia. He'd had vivid dreams before, but last night, he could feel dread as real as day itself, the panic of death settling in, & he could smell blood... Faye's blood. There was no reason of him to imagine Belle's beast breaking into their home, even less reason for him to imagine that vile creature attacking his wife. Perhaps Faye's hormones were starting to wear on him, or he was having a hard time adjusting to having a wife at all. It was an adjustment to have someone to go home to, & was certainly different than the whores who did their job & then left immediately.

 _'You tried to take what is mine,'_ the dream beast told him as his blood-stained muzzle  & dripped onto the floor, _'I took what is yours. You brought this upon her.'_

Even as Faye chattered happily next to the fire that evening about some book she'd read & cuddled into his side, Gaston could still remember seeing her body clawed open, & her trembling from shock. Her pathetic sobbing & gasping for air as her torn neck bled freely onto their bedroom floor. She was scared as she died in his arms, & he couldn't do anything but rock her & whisper lies of her being safe as the light faded from her eyes. It was his own damn dream, & he was as powerless as a newborn babe in the face of his fears; Faye was becoming important to him, & people may try to use her against him in the future.

"Jean?" Faye called softly, her husband tilting his gaze from the fire to her. Faye blushed as he wrapped an arm around her & kissed her forehead, his hands gently petting her back. Whether Beast was still a monster or human, he would never take Faye from him; he would make damn sure of that. Sensing her husband's discontent, Faye quieted her talking for a while, & just rested against him. It was still new to let a man hold her whenever he felt like it, but Gaston was more relaxed like this, he was less pushy & less of a bully when he got to hold her.

..._..._...

Sara Winter was a kindly woman about the age of Gaston's mother, & arrived at their door just after sunset while Faye & Gaston relaxed before bed. When LeFou answered the door, he could have sworn he'd gazed upon a future version of Faye. The red hair under her bonnet was a bit faded & she lacked the freckles Faye had, but her green eyes still sparkled brilliantly with playfulness. Faye heard the woman's voice from the salon & rushed to the door, Gaston taking his time to make his way there. He was greeted with the sight of the women hugging each other tight & Le Fou dragging her traveling trunk into the foyer. What the hell was this? Faye's past made no mention of her older doppelganger.

"Je-, I mean, Gaston, this is my Aunt Sara," Faye said with a happy smile, "Aunt Sara, this is my husband, & the person helping with your luggage is Monsieur LeFou." Sara nodded with a gentle calmness, despite Faye's gushing excitement, & her bold statement that she, a runaway, was now married. Gaston guessed that the woman was used to Faye's behavior. Good, maybe he an ally.

"Aunt Sara, how is mother? & Christina's baby, has it come yet?" Faye asked as the woman led her aunt into the home. What was going on? Wasn't she going to ask his permission before letting her family stay? Apparently not. Gaston growled under his breath, grabbed Sara's trunk from LeFou, & took it upstairs to the guest bedroom, letting it fall to the ground with a thump. He had no idea why or how this woman found Faye, but he hoped that she wasn't here to try & annul their marriage. He couldn't sense anything in her that suggested anything other than a kindly family member popping in for a visit, but his & Faye's situation was far from normal.

Gaston made his way to the salon, & Faye was busy talking Sara's ears off. It was quite a sight, really. As much as Faye went on & on with him on a daily basis, this Aunt Sara seemed to bring out a whole new gear of hyperactivity stored in his wife. Gaston stood in the doorway & rested his shoulder against the frame as he watched his bride practically accosting her aunt with words until he could take no more; this woman was their guest, & she'd barely arrived before Faye dumped almost two weeks of information onto her, little insulting jabs at her own husband included.

"Damn it, Faye, let the woman relax for a bit," Gaston barked, "Go make some tea. LeFou just left for home." It was a lie, LeFou was probably already working at making tea, but Sara looked like she could use a break from the whirlwind before her. Faye made an annoyed scowl in Gaston's direction, but excused herself anyway, since it was the polite thing to give refreshments to guests after all. Gaston made his way into the salon & Faye walked out to the kitchen. Gaston looked back at the retreating form of his bride before sliding the salon door shut.

"No games," Gaston said in a low voice, "Were you sent here to spy on my bride? I won't let you take her, this is her home now." Sara was pulling the bonnet on her head off & smiled at Gaston when she smoothed it in her lap. She didn't look daunted by his looming presence, in fact, she looked like she had fully expected his hostility. She wasn't as unseasoned, or naive, as Faye was, even if their appearances lent to one another so much.

"I am here to make sure my niece isn't regretting her decision to run away from home," Sara announced softly, "She left a note for the family when she took off. Her parents are looking with more conventional methods back at home, but it wasn't hard to follow a pretty young girl traveling alone. She was lucky that most of the people she rode with had men with daughters of their own; a couple of gentlemen on my trip assured me that they watched over her very carefully." Gaston growled under his breath at the thought of his naive bride traveling by herself from only God knew where. Lucky was an understatement, Faye was completely unaware of the attention she attracted, or the cruelty of people.

"As you've probably noticed already, Faye doesn't have very much confidence in herself," Sara continued softly, her gaze drifting to the window, "I was born as a rusty like her, you see. Like her, I wasn't able to secure a husband. I'm so happy that she was able to find someone willing to go along with her & accept her marriage proposal, her options back home were growing bleak indeed. You don't strike me as a man who married Faye simply for her beauty or money, but I suppose that conversation for another time. Faye would be very upset if she heard us speaking about this.”

"Now, if you do not mind, I would like to retire for the evening," Sara announced to Gaston, "Faye will forgive me, I suspect. Now that I know she is safe & content, my exhaustion from the trip has become more apparent." Gaston nodded absently as he tried to piece together the information given to him; what could possibly be so damaging about Faye that would be so hard to find a husband? The rich bastards in England must have some pretty high standards if they really thought Faye was unattractive, but that didn't mean she wasn't marriageable; perhaps it was because her family came from new money. He led Sara up the stairs & to her bedroom, & the woman patted Gaston's cheek, much like his own mother often did, smiling at him warmly before she went inside & gently shut her door.

..._..._...

Faye was standing in the doorway of the salon when Gaston returned, a sad look on her face. She looked so pitiful at seeing her aunt no longer present, it was hard not to laugh as he walked to her. Faye looked up as he approached, & Gaston's amusement disappeared when he saw the tears that had begun to form in his bride's eyes. Just how long had she gone without seeing her aunt? For that matter, how close where they? Faye had made no mention of Sara before, but he could tell that she was someone Faye looked up to quite a bit.

"She's in her room?" Faye asked softly. Gaston nodded & she stepped back from the salon, balancing the tea tray in her free hand as she slid the door shut.

"I'll bring this up to her, then," Faye suggested, frowning when Gaston stepped into her path, completely blocking it with his bulky body.

"The woman needs rest, Bride," Gaston told her gruffly, "Let her have time alone before you harass her again." Faye shook her head & tried to skirt around Gaston again, seeming offended that he would suggest she would harass her aunt. When that didn't work, Faye thrust the tea tray into Gaston's hands. While Gaston was busy trying to balance it & regain his composure, Faye snuck past him & rushed up the stairs. Her husband let out a growl of annoyance & looked after Faye as a bit of sugar spilled onto the floor.

"I really need to talk to Aunt Sara!" Faye insisted, "Just give me a few minutes!" She found the guest room Sara was in quickly & shut the door behind her just as Gaston roared at her again to obey him. Sara looked up from her trunk & stifled a giggle, taking a seat on the bed with a nightgown rolled in her arms.

"You needed to talk to me, Faye?" Sara inquired all-too-knowingly. Faye nodded & locked the door to the room before she sat at one of the chairs in the small room. Noting the door was secured, Sara stood again & began to undress. Faye waited a few moments as she worked, trying to force her thoughts into a coherent sentence. But whatever felt coherent, sounded more malicious than Faye intended

"You don't know if you can trust your husband, correct?"

Faye looked ashamed of herself, but nodded to confirm Sara's hypothesis. Sara smiled warmly & draped her dress over a chair & then her underclothes a couple of minutes later, pulling her nightgown on afterward. She sat on the edge of her bed & gently squeezed Faye's hands in her own, before pulling all of her long hair together & braiding it; Faye could remember her aunt tying her hair for her before bed when she was a little girl, it was a calming & nostalgic memory she dwelled on for a minute before Sara addressed her again.

"You worry needlessly, Faye," Sara told her softly, "I can tell already; Monsieur Gaston is a bit rough around the edges, but under all of that roughness & brute force, you're going to find yourself a good man. & believe me, I know a rake when I see one." Faye looked up at Sara hopefully at her coaching. Gaston's mother had said something similar just days ago, it gave her a bit of hope. Sara, gently holding Faye's hands again, knew she should probably tell Faye she could have warned her about this if she hadn't run away from home. But Faye was already married now, all she & Gaston could do now was move forward.

"Maybe I shouldn't have married him so quickly," Faye backtracked as she picked her actions in the past weeks apart, "If I'd gotten to know him first-"

"You wouldn't have picked him if you wanted to get to know a man, silly girl," Sara snapped at her niece impatiently, "I know what you were thinking Faye, you panicked when Lord Whitley set his sights on you, & you tried to find a man who looked like he could hold is own in a fight. It's probably a good thing that the two of you didn't court one another. On the exterior, your husband isn't a very likable man." Faye sighed & nodded until Sara continued explaining Faye's situation even better than she could herself. Her aunt was right, she always was. She had a way of seeing things in a way others back at home didn't, which the older woman explained by saying it was because she & Faye's father grew up very poor before they became rich.

"Do you not want to be with him? Or are you afraid of him?" Sara asked bluntly after a few moments of silence.

"It doesn't matter what I want, Aunt Sara."

"Faye…"

"Yes, Aunt Sara, I do want to be with Gaston," Faye announced, "The moment I met him, I knew that no matter how ferocious he looks, or how much of a bully he can be, he'd never hurt me. But Aunt Sara, he… he wants to… sleep with me. He wants to share a bed every night & be intimate." The last part came out in a blurt & Sara nodded. Faye was confused at her aunt's easy admission, she didn't seem to be surprised at all. At home, her own parents didn't share a bed, & as far as Faye knew, they never had.

"Well, that tends to be a husband's natural inclination," Sara informed Faye, "Your husband isn't one of the rich that has to hide his relations in front of a cleaning staff, Faye. You two have the luxury of privacy that your parents don't, this can be a good thing. Are you afraid of being intimate?"

"Only a little," Faye mumbled, "Of course I knew he'd want to do such a thing eventually when it came to having heirs, but... he won't even give me a moment to get used to the idea. & I know that asking for courtship is out of the question."

"I would expect him to not want to wait," Sara admitted with a small nod, "You are his wife, & he wouldn't have married you if he didn't want you. People out in the country, they get to marry without having to consider the financial benefits a partner might bring. Especially a small village like this, everyone is so self-sufficient & cut off from the outside world, I wouldn't be surprised if money rarely crossed their minds. It's quite... freeing, actually. The money your father has now has changed him, our whole lives have changed." Faye had to stop & think about that. When she considered all things, Gaston had agreed to marry her without getting to know her at all. This whole time she'd been concerned about that, but what if he genuinely just wanted to be with her?

"But, I'm still-"

"Just do as I said; be patient & you'll find a good man in your husband," Sara suggested once more with a gentle smile. Faye nodded, moments before a yell came through the door, followed by an angry knock. Faye's name was being yelled. The young woman grimaced & crossed her arms indignantly, Sara standing & going to her door to open it up for Gaston. She kept her body modestly tucked behind the door & Faye stood from her chair to greet a very impatient Gaston waiting in the doorway.

"You see, Aunt Sara?" Faye tattled to her aunt almost childishly, "The only time he says my name, he yells it for the whole village to hear. What has you in such a bad mood now, Jean?"

Gaston growled at his wife's teasing words & tugged her out of her aunt's room by the arm, ignoring the small inconvenience she created by whining & trying in vain to tug herself back. Without a word, Gaston took the angrily Faye to their bedroom & slammed the door shut, not once opening his mouth lest he say something that hurt Faye's feelings in front of her curious aunt. Sara let out a small, wistful sigh & shrugged, going back into her room & closing the door behind her. She was going to need her beauty sleep to keep up with those two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always seem to start my monthly right around getting to this chapter. spooooky.


	12. Comfort

"Unhand me, this instant!" Faye commanded for the third time. Now that the room was secured & locked, Gaston submitted to her request (if one would call it that) & unceremoniously shoved his bride off of his shoulder & onto their bed. Faye let out a cry of anger before she landed & immediately began to try to fight her way out of the plush feathers and cotton bedding, her body too uncoordinated from the sudden jolt to move upright. It took all of Gaston's self-control to remain calm at the sight of Faye floundering around as the bed sucked her & her big dress into it, her pride would likely shatter if he laughed now. Somehow, Faye dragged herself out & gave her husband an accusatory glare.

"I didn't mean you could drop me!" she yelled at him.

"Well, you weren't exactly specific, were you?" Gaston countered easily. Faye's cheeks flamed up in anger & she crossed her arms in front of her chest in her best effort to look intimidating. When Gaston still towered over her, it wasn't exactly effective. Gaston rubbed a large hand over his face & wondered if he'd ever be as understanding of Faye as her aunt was. Gaston grew more exasperated the more he dwelled on his wife's upbringing & sighed. What the hell did blue bloods brainwash their daughters with these days? There was an insane amount of things Faye believed that just didn't add up, it was as though people taught her everything they thought she needed to know as a child & then never bothered to update those teachings. 

Even if she was frivolous with her emotions, Gaston could tell Faye really felt them from the bottom of her heart. She just needed to toughen up, which he knew she would in time, if she was going to survive a marriage with him. & Gaston had to admit, Faye's loyalty was admirable. Would she be as protective of him in the future, as she was of her parents? His years as a bachelor hadn't left his reputation exactly pristine, but the thought of his little wife challenging people with such a big voice made him swell with pride. Gaston decided it was time to calm himself & plopped down on the bed next to Faye. She bounced up as if she weighed nothing & had to right herself.

"Faye, I think it's time I tell you exactly how our marriage is going to work, Gaston grumbled.

"But-"

Gaston groaned & covered his bride's mouth with his in a kiss to silence her for a few moments. Faye was going to challenge EVERYTHING he said, wasn't she? He stood up again & decided it was high time Faye got a good talking-to. She needed to learn to start listening to him & obey him like a dutiful wife He would be calm & understanding, he decided, just lay down his expectations of her without making her feel trapped in any way. He didn't have any unrealistic expectations, he just wanted his wife to be more obedient.

..._..._...

Gaston was yelling by the time he finished his lecture. Faye thought of telling her husband about this fact, but his eyes were wild & he was too far gone for saving. Gaston covered his expectations of their marriage, making sure to be decisive and clear in what he wanted in each of his points, as though she were daft. Faye didn't mind terribly, for somewhere down the line, she'd realized that her husband was being kind in his own roundabout way. The man was pushy, crude, arrogant, & many other things a gentleman shouldn't be around a lady, but he fought for what he cared about, and it wasn't as though he wanted Faye to be a glorified house servant. Regarding the bickering he did with her, Faye had never seen such passion between her mother & father when they disagreed, & certainly not as much honesty. They stayed in their little boxes, content with pretending their lives were infinitely perfect, that manners & rules kept things neat & tidy. Not Gaston; he was loud, he swore, & didn't allow other people's opinions sway his determination. Faye had found her match.

When he was finished with his lecture, Gaston realized that Faye's mind had wandered. She was staring off into space with a dreamy expression, as though she were imagining something along the lines of a fairy tale. It bothered him, why did she always have to ignore the real world for her daydreaming?

Gaston easily lifted her to her feet & pressed his lips down hard on hers. Faye, much to his surprise, responded positively, kissing him back as her arms reached up to wrap around his neck. Gaston growled softly & deepened the kiss once he had her consent, his tongue exploring her mouth in a ferocity that almost made Faye lean away. Gaston pulled his lips from hers a few moments later with a gruff expression & stood straight, watching her catch her breath as she slumped against him. She was too willing & sweet for him to contain himself, he couldn't pinpoint when she stopped being so shy about affection, it almost made him wary.

"Who taught you to kiss?" Gaston asked Faye as he helped her to stand & pulled her into his arms. His hands rested on her back & bottom, an action that made Faye jump a bit in embarrassment & try not to pull away; her husband took entirely too many liberties with her body, and his question made her a little defensive. How many people did this man think she would even consider kissing?

"Y-you taught me," Faye finally responded to Gaston. He looked at her skeptically & his hands squeezed tighter on her body. Faye returned his expression with a pout and refused to back down.

"Don't lie to me, woman."

"I'm not lying, you ogre! If you don't like the way I kiss you-"

"I like it."

Gaston leaned down & kissed Faye again, making her legs go completely weak. She slumped against her husband & he smiled to himself. He knew he was rather informed as a lover, but Faye's inexperience meant that his touch would be all that she knew. It was only a matter of time before Gaston couldn't take anymore & pulled from his wife, sitting her down in bed gently, resting at her side. He needed to catch his breath, & from the sight of her heaving chest & completely red face, so did she.

"Let me know when you're done with that damned woman's thing," Gaston grunted, giving Faye's forehead a small kiss, "I don't know how much longer I can wait to bed you, Faye..."

Faye held in a small giggle of amusement & nodded, knowing that her husband must be at the end of his rope. He really did want to lie with her, & everything that could possibly happened to stop that seemed to pop up. She was just relieved that the two of them had gotten more acquainted since meeting, and that she'd spoken to her aunt earlier; now, Faye could at least feel comfortable knowing that Gaston's insistence was completely normal.

"I will tell you when it's done," Faye promised, "But for now, can we go to sleep? I'm starting to ache a bit again."

..._..._...

Gaston burst into Sara's room an nearly hour later, the woman groaning & sitting up in her bed before lighting the candle at her bedside to get a better look at the clearly distressed man. Just what was Gaston so worked up over? The yelling & sounds from the master bedroom had hushed, so Sara was under the assumption that everything was fine & the two of them had finally gone to bed. But here was Gaston, practically wearing down the hard-wood flooring as he paced the guest room back & forth.

"What has happened?" the woman asked, pulling herself into an upright position. Gaston continued to pace back & forth, clearly agitated & at a loss of what to do. Was Faye hurt really badly? Before Sara could climb out of bed to check, Gaston spun around, looking the woman dead in the eye now, completely serious.

"How do you ease cramping?" Gaston asked her, & rather abruptly, "Damn it, Sara, she's in pain right now. I won't have it!"

Sara barely held back a laugh as Gaston stood at the end of her bed now, looking like he was in agony having to ask her for advice. She quickly decided against letting out even a chuckle, supposing that a man like Gaston would fail to appreciate the humor in this moment. He looked like he was on a quest to make Faye feel better, & she didn't want to be the one to ruin such a kind gesture. For now, his worries over something completely normal needed to be eased.

"Maybe a strong drink will loosen her up," the woman finally suggested, tilting her head, "Also, a nice back rub is always helpful. & make sure Faye stays out of her corset until her cramping eases. Her pain should subside soon, cramping doesn't usually last for more than an hour at most."

Gaston was already leaving the guest room, giving Sarah a dismissive wave as he swung open her door & slammed it shut behind him. Sara decided not to be offended by the man's abrupt attitude as she blew out her candle & settled back into bed, supposing she'd let him slide this time because his heart was in the right place. She only hoped now that Faye would see how much he cared about her, because he certainly wasn't the type for flowery words, perhaps not even manners on certain days.

Back in the bedroom, Faye laid curled up in a ball & did her best to remain brave in the face of her cramps. She outright denied the ale he offered, secretly amusing him, & the usual back rubs didn't seem to be soothing her. Only when Gaston lifted Faye out of their bed & cradled her against his chest did she seem to be relaxing. She trembled against her husband & let out slow, even breaths, eased by his surrounding warmth & his hand still rubbing the lower half of her spine. Gaston hoped Faye was right & this wasn't a common thing for her; she was scaring him almost daily with her intense cramps & pains. Slowly, Gaston rocked Faye in his arms, keeping her close to him as much as he possibly could so she would feel safe and hopefully her pain would lessen.

"I'm sorry," Faye muttered softly after some time. Gaston grunted curiously in responded and looked down at her, not surprised that her eyes were welting with tears again. He did his best to chalk it up to her wild hormones and gently patted her head to show he cared in his own, awkward display of affection.

"Don't be," Gaston muttered, "Try to sleep, Faye. It will help you to relax."

Faye nodded and buried her face into Gaston's chest, rubbing her cheek on him as she tried to relax as he commanded. After a while longer of being rocked gently and having her back rubbed, Faye eventually fell asleep, relaxing against him.


	13. Relief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a brand new chapter that wasn't in the original version of this fic, because in the rewriting of this story, I realized that I wasn't very good at building things up when I was 18. Hopefully I'm better now, haha.

Finally, Faye slept quietly in bed as Gaston watched her, his gaze scanning over her protectively & perhaps a bit fearfully. What was he doing, getting himself in a frenzy over his wife like this, letting her get to him so personally? He seemed to be asking himself this pretty often lately, as well as having to remind himself that the two of them had yet to consummate their marriage. All of this could fall through, & he was scrambling around while she was on her monthly, somehow thinking she was going to die from something women were built to endure on a regular basis. He couldn't remember getting this nervous over his sisters' menstrual cycles; but then, they never made it seem like that big of a deal, he barely even knew if one of them was on her menses.

Even as Gaston berated himself, he felt himself grow less worried as Faye began to stir in her sleep & slowly wake, her gaze lifting to his & a small smile playing on her lips. Damn it, her smile was dazzling to him, even with her half asleep. It was almost as if he didn't own the hand that came forward to hold her delicate face as his thumb stoked her freckled cheek. Looking down at Faye, & her worried expression fade into something calm & serene, Gaston finally realized why she was becoming so precious to him. He wanted to protect her. To hell if their marriage never bore true love or if they would be happy forever, he wanted to protect her at the end of the day. He almost needed it, just as much as he breathed air.

"Jean?"

Faye's voice came to his ears in a tired, quiet way her eyes still blurry & half-open from her nap. Gaston pulled her closer & ran his fingers through his wife's hair, his gaze more guarded now that she was looking at him. Faye seemed curious right now, & too adorable for her own good. It was second nature for him to gently pet his fingers through her hair now spilled onto the bed behind her, the small action seeming to comfort her again.

"Sleep, Faye," Gaston ordered Faye softly, pulling his large blanket over her shoulders. She made a few protests about him sleeping in bed with her, like she had every night, but soon began to fall asleep to the slow rhythm of Gaston gently petting her head. She was quiet & asleep in minutes, allowing Gaston to relax; hopefully now, she would sleep until morning. & then he slid away from her, lying away on his side of the bed. It was torture not to touch Faye every night, but he could only imagine the hell that would unfurl if he gave in to baser instincts. Faye was already in delicate condition, she would never forgive him if he just pounced on her like an undisciplined boy. Hell, when did he begin care about Faye caring or trusting him? It was a sobering question that almost scared him.

This woman could really get to him, Gaston realized, lightly rubbing his temple. She was invading his life, his worries, his likenesses, everything; no longer was she a pretty replacement for his last attempt at marriage, she was becoming important. He'd been so enraptured in "putting up with her" to actually notice, & now that he had, Gaston wasn't sure if he hated it, or he was just worried what letting Faye so close to him would bring. But returning home to Faye every night just felt so good now, like it was what he was meant to do. Going to the bar wasn't as alluring, & looking at the other women in town wasn't as pleasurable as it once was.

With an uneasy grunt, Gaston sat up on the edge of the bed & felt the urge to kick himself in the backside. If this kept up, he'd be just was pitiful as his father, leaving Faye out on the streets with children, just as his mother had been. He wasn't being careful with his feelings, but he'd made a promise to take care of Faye until his last breath, or hers. There were plenty of bad things he'd done before her, but he was still a man of his word under all that. Maybe he just needed a bit of space, & some more manly way to spend his time tonight, considering his wife was... unavailable for intimacy.

..._..._...

Gaston wasn't in the room when Faye awoke, filling her with a moment of dread before she allowed herself to calm down & sit up in her bed; quickly she chided herself for wanting him in the room with her, knowing it wasn't prudent. She shivered at the brisk feeling of autumn seeping into the room, seeing that her husband has left the bedroom window open just a crack. It made Faye feel uneasy seeing it open, she didn't know why, but she quickly slid out of bed & went to the window, shutting it & locking it tight. The fireplace, carefully stoked to remain warm & crackling in her sleep began to heat up the room again, giving Faye back the feeling in her fingers & toes.

Her cramping had lessened considerably in the night, her stomach just a bit achy from all the tensing she did during the pain. Carefully Faye dressed in a dark emerald gown without a corset before brushing her hair atop her head & putting the pile into a neat bun, just so everything would be out of her way. Her first task of the day was to show her aunt around the home, maybe around town if Gaston wasn't too easy about letting her have too much exercise after last night. A small, warm feeling settled over Faye as she remembered his care last night, as well as his obvious concern. Just days ago she couldn't imagine him being so attentive, but now, their farce of a marriage almost seemed... authentic.

Faye held onto that feeling & left the bedroom, almost downstairs when Gaston opened the front door & came inside. He looked completely tired & exhausted, his long hair tousled & his eyes lightly ringed with shadows, & Faye wondered what exactly had happened. Was there an emergency of some sort? Faye quickly went to his side, a bit surprised to smell sweat & dirt on him when it was so cold outside. Gaston regarded her with a guarded expression before it softened immediately, his hand reaching out to rest on the back of her neck; almost looked like he wanted to hate her, but he couldn't. Gaston quickly pulled Faye in with the hand on her neck before his mouth slanted on her own for a quick, almost-chaste kiss, leaving Faye with the taste of rum in her mouth & a dark flush on her cheeks.

Her reaction gave Gaston a bit of an ego boost, letting the rest of his stress from the night before float away. Faye wasn't a dangerous thing for him to run from, she didn't even have a resistance to men or intimacy. Further proof that it was safe to relax around Faye was the relief Gaston needed, & with wide eyes, Faye watched him with great curiosity as he removed his coat & then tossed it onto the coat rack. She couldn't wrap her mind around what had just happened between them, or what his unreadable gaze was about.

"Went hunting early this morning," Gaston finally announced to Faye, rubbing the scruff on his chin, "I'm gonna clean up & take a nap; have LeFou wake me when breakfast is done."

With another kiss on the forehead & gently moving Faye aside to go upstairs, Gaston was gone, closing the door to the master bedroom & leaving Faye in the foyer. Her cheeks were still burning, & now her heart was pounding in her chest, she almost felt like a deer who had just looked down the barrel of Gaston's musket. Where was her crass, rude husband who liked to order her around & pick on her? The man who greeted her at the door was mild-mannered & gentle, his actions were kind & his words had no bite to them.

"Faye, are you alright?" Aunt Sara suddenly asked from the kitchenette, causing Faye to nearly jump out of her skin. She'd been so lost in thought, she'd barely noticed the older woman approaching her.

"It's nothing Aunt Sara, I was merely daydreaming," Faye replied.

Sara let out a small tsk at Faye's response & wrapped her arm around Faye's shoulders, leading her over to the kitchenette so they could make breakfast. LeFou was already in the middle of it, appearing to be as chipper & talkative as he usually was. Faye was glad to lose herself in the conversation for a while, unsure how to feel about Gaston's actions still.

..._..._...

With a low, deep grunt, Gaston spilled his seed, letting it slide down his aching shaft, left unattended since the night before. He'd hoped hunting & distracting his mind for a while would help him get over his baser urges the night before, but seeing Faye as soon as he got home had shattered his discipline. He was glad to not be afraid of his own wife anymore, but she was so soft when she approached him, he could feel it in the air around her, as well as the warmth coming off of her. When he kissed her, she smelled of the rosewater she kept on the dresser & tasted like mint leaves, a welcome change to the smell of animal blood & the taste of the alcohol on a whore's lips.

He hadn't realized it until now, but their bedroom smelled like her now, especially the bed. Still dressed in his hunting clothes, Gaston stripped down to his long johns & relieved his need as quietly as he could, & quickly, only wanting to relieve his pent-up frustration that having Faye around so much caused. All he could think of was having his way with his wife as he stroked himself, with no patience or gentleness, just hard & animalistic fucking, to get lost in her like nature intended. But he couldn't do that, she would never forgive him; & he wouldn't forgive himself. His wife was so damned fragile, & innocent, he wondered what kind of upbringing allowed a woman to grow up in such a way.

"She'll be the death of me," Gaston growled in a defeated tone, standing up finally to clean himself. He couldn't resist using the leftover rosewater Faye had left in their wash basin, wryly comparing it to cloaking himself in an animal scent before he went hunting. If Faye & he were animals, of course, he wouldn't be left wanting like this, he wouldn't be soothing his own pent-up frustrations with his own hands. But then, he probably couldn't care about his wife so deeply, either; it was a double-edged sword.

..._..._...

When Gaston came down for breakfast, Faye felt a bit disappointed that he seemed to be back to his normal self. The softness in his eyes seemed to have faded, but at least he was still in a mellow mood, hugging Faye from the side before he quickly removed his arm from her & sat down in his chair at the table. Faye took the seat to his right & LeFou & Sara also took their seats, breakfast being served a bit later in the morning. Seeing how tired Gaston was earlier, Faye had dragged her feet a bit, not sure if waking Gaston too early would be a problem. She was able to take her aunt into town for some extra ingredients for porridge as well, the two of them getting many friendly greetings in the market.

Faye felt remarkably calm as everyone ate, Sara & LeFou talking about other citizens of the town while Gaston & Faye ate quietly. Looking over from the corner of her eye, Faye spied her husband curiously from time to time, taking in the sight of him eating down the porridge, or wiping up some of the leftovers with a roll. Under the watchful eye, he ate much more gracefully than she'd given him credit for, everything he did was suited to the size of his bulky body, his movements weren't jerky or uncontrolled in the slightest. He looked like he was out in the woods, even now, Faye couldn't help but think Gaston's movements were... well, beautiful.

She hadn't even noticed she was staring until Gaston suddenly leaned in, resting one of his large hands on her forehead to check her temperature. Faye felt her cheeks burning as his hand moved away, & turned her gaze from his to try & hide her embarrassment at being caught. But he didn't say anything to tease her & went back to eating, & Sara & LeFou didn't seem to notice the small exchange between the two of them. Faye just felt like she was losing her mind now, since this morning, Gaston had been the only thing on her mind, no matter what she did.


End file.
